


Viral Mates

by Silverlineage



Series: Prototype [1]
Category: Prototype (Video Games)
Genre: Brutal Murder, Conspiracy, F/M, Falling In Love, Ignores Prototype 2, Inappropriate Humor, Love, Romance, Sexual Humor, Suspense, True Love, Trust, Virus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-12 07:33:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 144
Words: 365,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15990599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverlineage/pseuds/Silverlineage
Summary: An antivirus was created to destroy the Blacklight virus known as Project Zeus. The antivirus, known as Project Hera, was formed three years after Project Zeus was made known. However, things don't go as planned, and now both projects have teamed up to cause havoc on society. - story starts when first game ends.*Strong language warning**Story is complete!*





	1. Chapter 1

The Commander looked at the file on his desk marked 'classified' in bold, red letters, and he thought to himself. _What has my military government cooked up this time? First there was Project Zeus and that went to shit. A whole island was still infested with a viral mutation and now lost because of it._ Millions were dead and only a handful of survivors were there, from what he knew. At this time, he figured they were all dead.

He was told and sworn, up and down, left and right that a resolution to the problem would be found. As far as he was concerned, it just kept getting put on a back burner. The black-haired, brown-eyed Sergeant looking at him from across his desk was standing and waiting for the file to be opened and read so he could report to his commanding officer. He never recognized the man before. _Did he even have a commanding officer? Was he really waiting for me to read the file? Or was he here for something else?_ He couldn't recall and lost himself in thought.

_It's been three years since anyone gave a damn about the island. It was quarantined, and anything that left the island without authorization was terminated on the spot. Anyone or anything that went in was checked out by military personnel. If that person or thing made it out, it was solid luck. Nine times out of ten, nothing came back out unless it was infected with a virus or transporting something that came from a virus._ It made him sick. _Every time they tried to blow the place up, something happened and the strike was cancelled out. No one could explain it. No one wanted to even try to explain it._

Looking at the manila folder again, he finally flipped it open and saw the heading of the project that was in motion under his nose for the past three years. Now he was livid.

"Project Hera?!" the Commander snarled out. "Why didn't anyone fucking tell me anything about this?! For three years? And now this...thing?...is operational?!"

"I'm sorry, Sir," the Sergeant said. "It had to be kept a secret. We know how intelligent Project Zeus is, and we couldn't have the information leak out. It had to be kept a secret from everybody. The only ones that knew about this was myself, a handful of scientists, my commanding officer, and now you. There is a helicopter outside waiting to transport you to the location where Project Hera is about to make a final check before becoming operational."

"Hera and Zeus. Motherfucker!" the Commander muttered. "How many more original fuck ups can our government make?! Whatever. Let me see here. So, Project Hera is supposed to be an antivirus? To Project Zeus? And who is your commanding officer?"

"That's what I was informed, Sir. You'll know more when we get to the base, Sir. My commanding officer is a scientist, Sir. You will meet him at the base, Sir," the Sergeant said. Slapping the folder closed, he got up and collected a few of his personal effects. He studied himself in the mirror to make sure he looked presentable. Steel grey eyes looked back at him from a chiseled, clean-shaven face. His sand-blonde hair was cropped short. So short that many would say he looked bald. Muttering to himself, as he grabbed his military jacket and hat to put on, the manila folder was collected next. He was escorted to the waiting helicopter on the roof shortly after. When a few minutes of flight checks and permissions to fly were granted, he was taken to the secret lab. Once they were up in the air, he noticed that it was the Sergeant that flew them to their next location. _Apparently, pilots weren't trusted._

"How far away is it?" the Commander asked.

"We'll need to take a submarine underwater," the Sergeant said.

"Really? That's a bit illogical."

"The Blacklight Virus cannot stand water. It was the most logical thing to do."

"Hmm. Maybe. So, this Project Hera will bring an end to Project Zeus?"

"That's what I know. You'll see for yourself."

"We'll see," the Commander nodded and let himself drift into a light sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The Sergeant woke him when they landed in the harbor where a nuclear submarine was waiting for them. The Captain of the submarine was there to greet him.

"Commander Harrison. Good to meet you. I'm Captain Wilkins. If you need anything during your trip, I'll see to it personally," the Captain said. "Sergeant Thomas! Glad to have you aboard!"

"Thank you, Captain. It would only be thirty minutes to reach the base, so let's not waste any more of the Commander's time," Sergeant Thomas said quickly. The Captain nodded, his features masked by the traditional military hat and glasses. Several of the sailors on board had a meal already set up for the two men in the galley, and a couple of beds were set aside in case they needed more rest. Once they were settled on the submarine, the hatch closed, and the massive, sleek ship descended into the murky, warm waters off the coasts of New York.

True to the Sergeant's words, it was about thirty minutes on the mark when the submarine docked in a specialized underwater laboratory. Once the Commander and the Sergeant disembarked the submarine, it submerged to head back to shore to keep the secretiveness of the project in full. Commander Harrison doubted that the Captain or the crew knew anything about the project. _They were simply ferry men and nothing more than that._

He headed towards the main part of the laboratory with Sergeant Thomas, and he was confronted by several men in hazmat suits. They nodded to them both and led them to the viewing deck. Behind several planes of thick glass was a tube-like tank filled with water in the center of the room. In the water was a beautiful woman. Far more gorgeous and perfect than any other woman he had ever seen in his life. He never noticed that Sergeant Thomas was led to another part of the underwater lab to do some paperwork. He was far too fixated on the inhuman beauty in the tube tank.

Her hair was long, white, and framed her body unlike anything he could recall. The white strands almost looked like tendrils. He noticed they were more than just tendrils. They reminded him of the tentacles of an octopus, since each one moved as though they had minds of their own. He couldn't tell what her eyes looked like, since they were closed, but her face held a singular form of perfection. Her nose was dainty to the point that it wasn't too large or too small. Her mouth held lips with a velvety soft, pink texture. Her cheeks accentuated her face with the same perfection as the rest of her.

Her skin was so pale that it was nearly translucent, and she had the most enticing set of breasts he'd ever gazed at. He would almost have said that they had to be fake, they looked that nice. Her legs were long, as well as her arms, and, as the tentacle-like hair moved her in a circular motion, he could tell she was well-muscled in all the right areas. _She was purely a female, and I'll be damned if anyone else would say anything otherwise._ He was so busy studying her perfect figure, he didn't realize that a rather heavy man moved to sit right next to him. A button was switched on casually and was unnoticed by the Commander. A faint light responded to the tank to show a connection was made.

"She has a fantastic ass, doesn't she?" the head scientist smirked, as he adjusted his glasses. "My name is Leopold Schwartz. What you are looking at is Project Hera."

"Three years? For this?" Commander Harrison frowned.

"Yes. It took a lot of trial and error after so long. This is our finished work. We took several cells that we had obtained from Project Zeus and found an antivirus to them. Literally, just by letting Project Hera near Project Zeus, the two will act like magnets and repel each other. But, Project Hera will actually set fire to the other if she gets close enough. Like a raging bonfire, or, say, a super-heated flame," Leopold said. "She has the capability to turn any viral infection into a combustion of fire. But, the effect would only last about a week. She would need to find other ways to fend for herself once that effect wore off. She would burn too much energy if it was permanent. This is what our testing showed with other samples."

"I see. Is there a possibility that Project Zeus can evolve to withstand it?" Commander Harrison asked. "Is there a possibility that they would...breed?"

"We have taken precautions," Leopold said. "There is a thermal nuclear bomb in the lower part of her brain, and it's attached to her heart. If her heart stops beating, it goes off. If the bomb is tampered with, it goes off. We even have her memories duplicated and sent into a special computer within the bomb, and it's monitored at midnight, every night, by a satellite. We can review her memories with it. If we spot something hostile, or that she wants to turn against us, we can set off the bomb remotely. As for breeding, that can't happen. It's true that, should she be successful in eliminating Project Zeus and comes back to us, we will want to breed her and dismantle her. Not only to remove the bomb, of course, but we will also want to create cures for the other viruses on the island. Vaccines would also be needed for the populace."

"I see. At least I can gain some comfort in that fact. But, why can't she breed?"

"She needs to have a healthy strain of untainted female hormones injected into her. Right now, we may as well call her an it. But, that's unlikely due to her figure," Leopold smirked.

"And how would you breed her?" the Commander had to ask.

"Like any other woman. We fuck her," Leopold grinned. "Only a human male can create a viable, breeding male or female from her. Anything else, well...could be called a robotic drone, from what we know. Like any good sci-fi film, she's the Queen as many would call it. But otherwise, yeah. We'd have to fuck her. The moment she gets back from killing Project Zeus, I'll have a list of men ready for her."

"Right. Good luck with that," Commander Harrison said grimly. "So, when does she wake up? Any estimate on that yet?"

"She's already awake. She's also been listening to us talk. She needed to know what would happen if she fucks up," Leopold said bluntly. Commander Harrison blinked, looked at the now glowing communications button and then looked at the beautiful creature in the stasis tube. _What a horrible waste of life! But, she wasn't exactly human, so why should I care?_

"So, what can she do now?" the Commander asked.

"We uploaded everything she needs to know into her brain already. We're finishing up tactical points on weapons, military artillery, vehicles, and even a few flight programs. She'll be a top ranking soldier by the time she's released from the tube. Just below Commander specialization, you see. She does have the ability to cloak her skin like a camouflage effect. Even her hair has some form of ability, too, as you can see. As long as our sensors have her DNA in our database, we'll track her easily. She won't be able to hide from us."

"Right. She'll do a test run here?"

"Yes. We'll make sure she's fully operational the moment she is able to walk. Ah! They're draining the tank now!" Leopold said with a grin. Commander Harrison watched the tank water drain fully, and the glass rose up to reveal her. She coughed out some water to breathe in the air, and she shivered from the sudden cold air that assaulted her. She blinked open her eyes, and the Commander could only pause with wonder once again. Clear blue eyes, almost pastel in color, now looked around her steel prison, as her hair coiled around her as though to shield her nakedness. Then she looked up and saw the Commander through the glass wall. She smirked and looked away. She already knew her life was forfeit, and he could tell. He didn't know whether to pity her or to simply not give a shit.

"Agatha!" Leopold said. He spoke through the microphone that led to the chamber, as the men in the hazmat suits assisted her in drying off. When she was thoroughly dried, they disconnected her from the machines that uploaded the content she needed to survive. She was in a crouching position the whole time the drying was done, and it was as though she was trying to keep the men from touching her too much.

"Agatha?" she asked in a tone that seemed almost ethereal. "Aren't I...Project Hera?"

"You are, but I named you Agatha a long time ago," Leopold chuckled. "Clothes will be sent down to you, and you will test your knowledge in a trial run. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I am ready," she nodded, as she stood up. She wanted to escape, but she could feel the bomb in her head pulsing in sync with her heart. _I'm a prisoner and soon to be a breeding machine. If I made it back here alive._ The clothes she was given included a white, camouflage suit that was built explicitly for her. Not only did it enhance her womanly assets, but it was form fitting and easy to move around in.

Being a two-piece garment didn't really help, but she did have natural armor. Her skin was hardening a bit, now that she was out of the water, to make it less transparent and more of a pale, silvery white in color. Her hair was now becoming a darker form of white, almost resembling ivory, and the tendrils settled down to be nearly floor length, as they seemed to mold to her form and ended at her ankles. After another few seconds, the tendrils resembled actual hair, and the scientists were amazed at it.

She was escorted into a training area where she excelled at weapons handling, vehicle driving, and a flight simulation. Commander Harrison watched everything curiously. Normally, he'd be furious as hell about the whole thing, but there was something about her that intrigued him. _And it wasn't the good kind of intrigue._ His gut told him that she was going to turn on them. _She heard everything the scientist said, and I wouldn't blame her if she did turn on us._ Just knowing that she was going to be a toy to every man on the station, and then cut up and sold to the highest bidder once her body was used up if she came back alive, would easily be enough to make even him want to kill everyone! _I don't want her to come back to that. But, why would I care?_ He was trying to figure it out.

"Very good, Agatha!" Leopold praised, as he finally walked over to see her face to face.

"Thank you, Sir," Agatha nodded.

"You can call me Leopold," he winked. She nodded, but cringed inwards. He was a fat, bald man in a white lab coat and had bad teeth. His thin, brown hair looked greasy, and he seemed to pant as he talked. It was as though he was constantly struggling to breathe. If he took better care of himself hygienically, she wouldn't have minded him. However, as a female, she had her standards, too. "And this is Commander Harrison. He was watching your performance, and it was he that I was talking to as you were being extracted from the tube."

"Hello, Sir," she nodded. _Now this was a human specimen that I wouldn't mind being with! Handsome, strong, and tall. Smart, too, from the look of it. He would give me decent offspring. But, that wasn't my choice to make._ It was a touch disappointing to her.

"Hello," he said back. "I don't approve of your existence."

"I don't approve of yours, either," she said back without missing a beat.

"Touché," he seemed to smile lightly. "You know your mission. As much as I would prefer to have this done another way, you seem to be our only hope."

"Glad to have your approval of something," she nodded. "I'll leave now."

"Remember!" Leopold warned. "If you die, the bomb in your head blows up!"

"Then maybe I should kill myself now and keep you all from waiting," she grumbled.

"You wouldn't dare!" the scientist paled.

"Then get the fuck out of my way, and let me do my job!" she snarled. The Commander found himself grinning. If she was human, he'd be compatible with her.

"Agatha! Remember who made you!" Leopold hissed. "You have one month! I stress to you one month! If you don't come back here by then, I'll be forced to cleanse the island with that bomb in your head! And the timer started the moment you walked out of that tube!"

"Ah. Now I have a time limit. Fine. Stop wasting my time, and let me get to the surface now, then," she muttered. Then she added with sarcasm, "Sir."

"Only a month?" Commander Harrison frowned.

"It took a little under a month for that whole island to go down. We judged that it would be the same time to purify it," Leopold shrugged and regarded Agatha while they walked. "There is a cryo tube this way, and it will be jettisoned out to the island. It will also be your transport back. Don't worry about fuel, it's rigged to use steam from the ocean water, itself, and it is solar powered for energy storage. No need for batteries. You don't need to be in it for the satellite to upload your memories, since you have that built in with the bomb. You may feel a little queasy as the satellite homes in, but you'll still be alive once it's done."

"You said that her memories are duplicated and stored in a separate database for the satellite. Can they be altered? Can it pick up her personal thoughts?" Commander Harrison asked. She said nothing, but listened as they walked. He was asking crucial questions that she wanted to know the answers to.

"It...may be possible. Personal thoughts? No. It will only store what she can hear and see. But, only with my codes and with the proper software from my laboratory computers can those memories be altered. She would need to be hooked up to them, and it would be a bit like Photoshop after that. Easy to work with and such."

"Can the programs be copied?" Commander Harrison asked.

"Maybe..." Leopold frowned, as he thought. "Why are you asking me these things?"

"It's a need to know basis so I know who I need to kill if something fucks up," he muttered, as he glanced at Agatha. She appeared to not be paying attention, but he knew she was. _If she was truly trained as top military personnel, then I know she's carefully storing every bit of information that she could get._ When they got to the cryo tube, she moved to go inside it and the Commander stopped her.

"Yes, Sir?" she asked.

"I don't trust you," he said. "I'm not sure what to make of you. But, if you fuck up this mission, I'll have you destroyed!"

"I understand. Maybe, if I get back, I'll let you fuck me first," she said with a small gleam in her eye, and his jaw dropped. _She liked me and told me in so many words._ He wasn't expecting that. Leopold seemed to stutter at this and literally shoved her into the cryo tube for it to lock her in place and freeze her solid within it. What he didn't see was a tendril of her hair getting smashed in the door from his hasty move. When the door shut, a split second before she was frozen, her body instinctively severed the wounded tendril. That small mistake the scientist made could now destroy everything they hoped to achieve.

"I wasn't done talking to her," Commander Harrison frowned.

"She has a mission to do! When she gets back, you can talk to her after I have found out all I needed to know about her," Leopold said, as he entered in the coordinates from where the cryo tube would land. "Now, I need a blood sample from you. This is for our computers so they will know who you are if you need to come here again."

"Hmm..." the Commander frowned. He knew the scientist wasn't just going to talk to her if she got back. _Why did that piss me off?_ He watched as the cryo tube was moved to a specialized launch pad, and the area sealed off as it flooded with water. Once the small craft was launched, he knew that all of their hopes went with it.


	3. Chapter 3

The man once known as Alex Mercer, and now known as Project Zeus, stared out over the remains of the New York island city. The place was overrun by infected humans and other genetic strains that lacked his control. This place was his territory. There were only two people he gave a shit about. They were the doctor that saved his ass several times, and the one he called a sister in a previous life. He kept them both safe from everything around them, and he had to make plans soon to send them away to another place of safety.

Food and water was becoming harder and harder to find for them, and it's been complete luck that he was able to help them so far. It's been three years of the usual attempts to infiltrate and destroy the island. All of those attempts were removed. It was also those infiltrations that let him get the food and water he needed for the two humans he protected. He was all that remained in keeping the island military free. At the same time, the island was a quarantined area because of it.

He was starting to get bored of it. He wasn't even human anymore, since the Blacklight Virus that infected him took over his body right down to his clothes. A grey hood covered over his head to hide most of his features, and a leather jacket covered over the hooded shirt. A button up, pale blue, long-sleeve shirt was under the hooded sweater and was untucked. Jeans and shoes completed the outfit, and it made him look like another human walking the streets. Unlike the usual human, he wasn't defenseless.

He had his own methods of attacking others that ranged from sharp, metal claws, to a whip-like hand. There was even a blade he could make with his own body, as well as a shield. He could harden the outer layer of his skin into armor to defend himself. If things got really tough, he could make tendrils leap out from his form to do a devastating attack around him to kill anything in land or air. He had another like that with his claws to have them jut out through the earth to impale anything on land. And as for movement? He was the fastest thing there was when it came to jumping, gliding, and running. He was the perfect killer.

He was about to turn away, but a shiny object surfacing in the water caught his sky-blue colored eyes. He turned fully now to study it from where he was. He wasn't close enough. Moving swiftly as he leapt and glided from building to building, he paused when he reached the docks. Something unnerved him about this. He moved closer and paused to watch, as the metal tube seemed to jettison itself onto land and stand itself upright. He watched as a new form of rocket emerged under it to turn from water movement to air movement. Then it launched into the air to get to safer ground. It was programmed to find the safest place possible to stay out of reach of infested bio-creatures on the island. He mused as he studied it. _A rather sophisticated form of AI._

He followed it swiftly, but remained at a safe distance. This was new to him and had him puzzled. _What was this?_ The metal tube stopped to land on a roof top, and it was here that it opened to reveal the palest woman he had ever seen in his existence with a sheen of cream-colored hair. In human terms, she was absolutely, downright beautiful. The type of woman that any man would worship without even thinking. The moment her slender body stepped out of the tube, he hissed as her very presence felt like fire! _What was she?! Who was she?!_

He backed away even more as stealthily as he could, and he found his limbs were starting to fail him as his joints felt like they were boiling in their cellular sockets. _This wasn't good!_ When he got far enough away, he was able to move again without pain, and now he glared at the pale figure in the distance with disbelief. He saw her look around, take out various weapons, and now she darted down the building. He paused in realization. _She was hunting me._

"Fuck!" he swore and waited until she was a good distance away before approaching the cryo tube. He found a bit of liquid left from her frozen state, and he moved to collect it. The liquid was actually the tendril that was removed from her body when Leopold slammed the door shut on it. When it was separated from her, it had turned into a form of goo, since it had lost shape from being frozen and cut off from a food source. It burned him like a hot coal when he touched it, and he hissed. _My body is rejecting it. I have to collect it somehow and take it to the doctor to be analyzed._ Glancing around, he found a discarded steel pipe and managed to collect the goo on it since it wouldn't separate. It actually seemed to cling to the metal. He had to hold the pipe away from him, as though he was holding a lit torch. Now he moved swiftly to where the doctor was hiding out in his hospital.

He walked in and dropped the metal pipe onto the examining table. The doctor heard the metallic sound and walked out from his lab.

"You brought me a pipe?" the doctor asked.

"Ragland, I brought you a pipe with some goo on it that burns me. It came from a strange, pale woman, and she walked out of this small, metal, rocket-thing. Just by her being near me, even at a far off distance...it made me feel like I was on fire with pain! I need to know why!" Alex hissed. "I need to know fast, too! She appears to be hunting me!"

"Really?!" Ragland blinked and studied the edge of the pipe. Finding the clear goo described, he took it into his lab for analysis. An hour later, he came back out.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"You're not going to believe this," he sighed. "It's an antivirus. To you."

"WHAT?!"

"Apparently, they made someone like you. Only made up of something that can kill you just by trying to get near you. However, you may be able to evolve and get stronger the more you're near it."

"Well..." Alex frowned. "how can I do that?"

"You'll need to get some of this creature's blood. The pure form of the antivirus. If you can get that, I can work on something for you. But, you need to be able to tolerate the presence of the antivirus first. You could try to consume a small bit of the sample you brought to me. Too much could hurt you, but the amount on this glass slide could be enough. You could even try to consume the blood that you get from the antivirus itself, but that could be risky."

"Hmm..." Alex thought and took the microscope slide from the doctor. Touching it, he winced from the pain it gave him, but then he blinked at some of the memories given to him. His body quickly gleaned information from the small droplet and started to evolve. Then he reviewed the memories, and his want to kill the pale woman quickly vanished.

"Any change in your physique?" Ragland asked.

"Yes. And I found out something else," Alex grimaced. "If she dies, we're all fucked."


	4. Chapter 4

She had cleared out a hive building that was infested with large, carnivorous creatures called Hunters, and she realized that she could consume them to get stronger with her tentacled hair. What she didn't know was that her own DNA was changing to adapt to her surroundings. The longer she stayed in the presence of the deadly virus, the more her body adjusted to repel it. All of the infected humans were fleeing from her now. They couldn't tolerate being around her, and those that tried ended up being engulfed in fire.

She literally boiled them from the inside out just by being around them until they combusted into flames. She had an idea that it was because she was just created, and she knew that the effect was temporary from what she overheard from the scientist back at the lab. But, it helped her stay safe for now. She was able to reserve her ammunition for emergency uses this way, too. When she passed by a corpse, the dead flesh had no effect to her. Only living infected tissue would combust, and she paused in thought.

She knew the satellite uplink would need to be made soon, and she had to get to higher ground. She didn't know how she would be after the uplink was done, and she did recall that she was told that she would get queasy. She made a small camp on the top of a building in one of the highest floors. When midnight rolled around, she felt the satellite uplink into her head and a wave of nausea hit her. She didn't puke, though, and it was enough to show that she was still alive. Gasping from it, she settled back down and took a deep breath.

"Did it hurt?"

"What?!" she growled and rose quickly now to look around. Alex stepped out of the shadows to confront her. It was easy to find her. He just had to search around until his body tingled with a slight form of pain.

"Did it hurt when the satellite checked your memories and vital signs?" he asked with a gruff tone of voice.

"What would you know?!" she hissed. The hood hid most of his features, and she studied him warily. She was starting to feel nervous. _He wasn't running from me like the others._

"You hurt me before when you stepped out of the cryo tube. You still hurt, but not as badly. I can tolerate you. To an extent," he grinned now. "I am Alex Mercer. You may know me as...Project Zeus."

"Project Zeus?!" she gaped.

"Yes. And I know that you are Agatha...or also known as...Project Hera...if your memories are correct?" he smirked. At her stunned silence, he knew he was right. "As for how I am evolving to be more...compatible with you, there was a little bit of residue that you left in the cryo tube back there. It was enough for me to consume, and I learned quite a bit about you. Especially that conversation you heard when you first woke up. That was quite...educational."

"What do you want? I have to kill you, you know. Besides, all of my memories of this will be uploaded to the next satellite in twenty-four hours from now."

"I know. I want to propose a deal with you," he said, as he pulled up a broken chair to sit on. "I know you don't want to go back to the fate dealt to you. So, I have another option. A mandatory one, regardless, but an option all the same. There was something that that Commander mentioned, and it...sparked an interest for me."

"Like what?" she asked. She kept her guard up.

"You and me team up," he grinned. "We...could create an army together."

"Hah! As if it was that easy!" she frowned. "The bomb in my head would explode, and everything around me goes with it!"

"I know. But, I also know a doctor who is exceptionally good with surgery. He may have an idea on what to do."

"But, if he fucks up, we all die."

"I know that, too. Still...you'll kill me anyways, you won't have to get raped by humans constantly, and your mission will be a success. But...you go with my option, and you'll have another chance at life. A real life. With me."

"I'll still get raped. By you. Fuck it. I'm not going for it," she growled.

"You don't have much of a choice. Like I said, the option I am giving you is a mandatory one," he snarled, as he stood up from the chair and took a step towards her. Her presence was starting to get to him, but he had to force it. _I need my body to evolve to overcome her. I have to do this to use her to my advantage._ She saw he was struggling, and now she ran at him to either attack or repel him.

He swore viciously and struck out with a clawed hand to retaliate. She shrieked, as he managed to cut her. Now that he had her blood on his body, he had to work fast to consume it before it seared him from the inside out. Once his body controlled the blood and evolved from it a touch further, he found her even easier to be around. He'd still need the doctor to work with her blood to make a more potent form of compatibility for her, though. _At least her blood wasn't burning me now._ It started to give him an advantage

"Oh, shit..." she whimpered, as she saw his body shiver with a form of new control. _He was getting stronger around me._ The scientists had no idea how fast he could evolve to adapt to new things. _If I stuck around him even longer, then he would simply become immune to me._ The hunter was quickly becoming the hunted. _I have to run._ Her body shifted into stealth mode, as she camouflaged to match her surroundings. Sticking to the shadows, she evaded him. For now. Once she was safe, she reflected on what just happened. _I have under twenty-four hours before my next satellite upload. I am likely going to die, despite how I declined his offer. Less than a day and my mission was already a failure!_ While she hid, he went back to the doctor to have his own form of vaccine made with the blood he still had on him. He would come back to look for her later once it was done.

_However, he did consume my blood, and he was evolving from it._ She knew this now. She looked at the wound on her arm, and she was already regenerating. Soon, the wound would be gone without a scar. The only problem was that regenerating cost her valuable internal resources. She needed to eat something, and her pack was left at the small camp she made. She had run into an alleyway to evade him on ground level. She didn't know if she could chance going back to the camp. She stayed where she was for the better portion of two hours. She could have tried to move, but she didn't know where he was.

The vaccine was easy to make, and even easier for his body to work with. He was far more immune to her now, and it was now that he had to do as the humans said before at such opportunities. _I have to strike while the iron was hot._ Heading back to where he last lost her, he blinked and grinned slightly. He found out that he could see her now. _Her scent gave me a visual of her location. That and the lack of infected humans in the area also compromised her location._ Still grinning slightly, he soundlessly edged behind her and made his move.

"Hello, darlin'!" Alex grinned, as he reached out and grabbed her from behind. She tried to do several swift combo moves to escape him, but he countered her moves easily. It was time for an act of desperation, and she turned to instinct.

Her hair now moved to form a wall of spikes in front of her. Unlike Alex as to where he could shift his whole body, she could only use her hair. It caught him offguard, and she was able to escape him again, but he had the ability to track her down by her scent alone. He had her cornered again, and she became enraged at her constant failure to kill him.

"I can't join you!" she screamed at him. "I have only a month to kill you and get back before the bomb goes off in my head!"

"A month? That sucks! I must have missed that," he growled. "But...I know someone who excels at surgery. The doctor I said before. We may have a way to free you."

"And then what? You know of an untainted woman to inject hormones into me to turn me into a breeding machine? You think I want that?!" she snarled.

"I do...know someone," he mused, as he thought of his former sister. Then he disregarded it. He didn't want the feeling that he could be fucking his sister. _Then again, wasn't the god Zeus and the goddess Hera brother and sister, anyways? And they still had kids?_ He could easily make it work to his advantage. Thinking back on using his former sister, the idea started to agree with him more and more. _It would be a bitch to find another viable human female._ He looked at her now and said, "As to what you want, I know it's not being raped by humans constantly. Wouldn't you rather be used for something that could give you a real purpose? Something that could help you get revenge on those fuckers that want to just kill you, anyways, and treat you like a piece of trash when you're done breeding out?! At least I would give you a fighting chance to survive, and we could leave our mark on the world!"

"I don't know," she frowned. "Besides, you'd have less than twenty-four hours before my memories are scanned and uploaded. They find out about us talking like this, then I die. That was made clear to me. I only had one chance, and I know it's gone. My life is no longer mine. I'm sure they have back-up cells of me, anyways. They could just clone another form of me and use that."

"Then I'll have to destroy the cells to make sure you can't be replicated, and I'll have to find a way to alter your memories to buy us more time," he thought. "The cryo tube you came in would take you straight back to that lab. Right?"

"It's an underwater lab. Always under surveillance. The cryo tube would only respond to my DNA code, anyways."

"And I have your DNA code now," he grinned, as his form shifted into a replica of herself. She gaped at his ability, and he grinned savagely with her form.

"How did you get that?!" she demanded to know. "How did you get my DNA?!"

"Your blood when I attacked you. The doctor I mentioned is a miracle worker with the Blacklight Virus. Which is me."

"But...how did you know of me before? Of my memories?"

"Your cryo tube had an odd bit of goo-like residue at the bottom of it. I told you before, but you likely didn't pay attention. You were, quite obviously, too focused on the fact that I found you out. I found it after you walked out of it. I was able to consume some of it to learn about you," he grinned. _Goo? From the cryo tube?_ Then she blinked and remembered how she was pushed into the cryo tube before she got here. Glancing at her hair, she noticed how one strand looked shorter than the rest, and she pulled the tentacle close. _The end was growing back. That was how the goo was formed when it dropped off me after the cryo tube door was opened._ Leopold fucked himself big time, and she shivered. Now she thought of how Alex was able to change his forms, and she glared at him. _Wouldn't he lose my form if he attacked another?_

"But, you lose my form if you consume another!" she argued. "Don't you?"

"I know I do. It's why I would have to consume the next one in charge carefully. Maybe I'll take an extra bit of your blood with me to get close to who I need to kill. That...Leopold guy...would need to be the first to take over. Right?"

"True," she frowned. "The Commander should live, though."

"Oh? Why him?"

"Recall the memories of breeding me out. If you and I did anything, you can't make a breeding set of males or females. We'd likely make sexless drones to do our dirty work. This is what those scientists stated. So, we would need a human stud. That Commander fits the bill for me."

"Hmm..." he thought, as he shifted back to himself and crossed his arms over his chest. "But, why him? Surely there are others, right?"

"He's...interested in my welfare. To an extent. Call it female intuition," she shrugged. "He's not happy with his military government, anyways. I can tell. And he's in his prime, for human standards. Anyways, time is being wasted. If you think this doctor can help, then...well...if I run from you, you'll just track me down and corner me again. I'm screwed no matter how I look at it. Whether I blow up, or if I get used for other purposes. Your option is obviously mandatory, if I want to keep my life."

"So...you'll join me?"

"If you can get this thermonuclear bomb out of me, I guess I owe you that much," she shrugged. "We'll all die, anyways, if we fuck up."

"True. Then let's go," he said.

"Wait. Knock my ass out."

"Huh? Why?" he asked.

"Do you want your doctor's location to be known if the satellite does manage to uplink?"

"Would it really matter if we're all gonna die?"

"You have a point," she agreed. Nodding to her, he moved to lead her to the doctor, but she moved to her small camp first to grab the few protein bars she needed to replenish her strength. He frowned at this and thought.

"You need to eat?" he asked.

"I have to. When I regenerate my body, I lose nutrients. Pure protein is the key for me," she shrugged. "Without it, I have nothing to work with. Those scientists could only test me so much before I had to come here, you know? The timer for the bomb in my head started the moment I was released from the test tube they made me in. I can consume those Hunters out there, but they don't have the real nutrients that my body needs to work with. I haven't tried to just eat them, though. Like these bars, but I wouldn't really know how to go about it unless I hack them into tiny pieces to chew up."

"Hmm. We'll need to work on that, too," he nodded. "All right, let's move. It's nearly two hours to dawn, and I'll need to see if I have to infiltrate that base."

"You could, anyways. It would be a nice hideout."

"Your idea intrigues me," he grinned. "I could consume whoever maintains the place and easily send out false signals that all is well. Consume anyone that tries to infiltrate..."

"Hah! A breeding ground?"

"We could do something here, as the doctor and my former sister go there. Make a distraction for the military, maybe. Then we join up with them," he mused. "The cryo tube could be the main means of transportation..."

"Already getting ideas, eh?"

"No thanks to you! You may have solved one of my biggest problems for finding the best safe house in existence. No one really knows about that base, right?"

"I was a top secret project. I may as well not even exist along with that base."

"I'm liking this more and more," he grinned slightly. "Stocked with food and water?"

"There is a self-generating garden with a bunch of breeding livestock. We may need to get more livestock, though, as an emergency backup. Salt water is transformed into drinking water from specialized filters. Maintenance is done every six months, as well as discreet food and supply drops. Consume the right people, and you could fix what breaks easily, as well as who to contact to get needed supplies."

"How do you know all this?"

"Let's just say," she said with a small, wicked smile. "that I was 'awake' long before they said I was. Whatever they spoke of around my tank, I overheard. My genetic make-up was mainly compromised from yours. My mind evolved faster than the rest of me."

"I have a set goal now. Let's move," he grinned again. He was going to turn the underwater base into his new safe house. _It was perfect. Capture the Commander, and use him as a breeding stud to keep offspring that could be bred for our own purposes. I could then send out those offspring to make breeding grounds in other cities. Maybe even have the doctor inject the fetuses with a strain of viral mutations to make them stronger. I'll breed with her to keep a small army of drones. I'll be King, and she'll be my Queen. The military just made their own downfall. But...that's if the bomb could be removed from her safely._ He would not proceed with what he wanted until that thing was out of her.

He led her to where the doctor was, and introductions were made.

"So, you are the antivirus?" Ragland asked. He studied how her hair moved with a mild form of fascination. When she concentrated slightly, the tendrils settled down to appear as near floor-length hair. It was one of the few things she could do properly.

"Yes. They call me Agatha, but I'm also known as Project Hera," she said.

"Project Hera and Project Zeus. Rather fitting," the doctor mused. "Anyways, I understand you have a bomb in your head, and it's attached to your heart?"

"And, at midnight, a satellite uplinks to my head to scan duplicated memories for anything that could be seen as unfit for military tactics, like my joining up with my enemy," she said with a grim smile. "It's attached to the bomb, though. You remove the bomb, you remove the scans. You make one mistake, we all die."

"I see," Ragland frowned. "Let's take a few x-rays. Shall we?"

"While he works on you, I'm going to find Dana," Alex said.

"Dana?" she frowned.

"My former sister. One of the few humans I give a shit about," he said. "Once that bomb is out of you, I'll give a shit about you, too."

"I should feel so lucky," she muttered. Ragland managed to chuckle and gestured for her to follow him. Alex watched her move to follow the dark-skinned doctor, and he waited. He wanted to see the results of the scans first to plan his next objective. _I was lucky that Ragland was able to save my former sister. The coma she was in scared me to death. It was a temporary thing, but at least she was up and about again._ He did like knowing that at least some part of his human past life still existed. Dana was someone he trusted and confided in.

A few minutes later, he saw Ragland walk out with Agatha to place the x-ray shots on the lighted wall screens. He had consumed a number of surgeons, anyways, and he wanted to see what was going on. He studied the lighted sheet and thought to himself. _The bomb is seated just under her brain, and wires seemed to wrap around her spinal cord from her neck to her heart. Luckily, none of the wires were moved through her ribs, and the wires seemed to trail down her spine to where her heart was. The scientists wanted an easy removal and not a difficult one._

"This will be tricky," Ragland frowned.

"I see that. What do you have in mind?" Alex asked.

"I'll have to get access to a beating heart. If I work fast enough, I could move the wires to the other heart, and then remove the bomb from under her brain. Or, I could see about removing the bomb first and the wires after. That may actually work better, so I can move the wires around after that. I could unwrap the cords from her spine to give me more slack. If you can find me an infected woman, we could use her as the fake," Ragland said. "But, we would need to make sure that both hearts beat at the same time. I can do that easily with the right drugs, so that's not a problem. The problem is finding the right female."

"What a pain in the ass!" Alex scowled. "And, if one thing slips up, we're all blown the fuck up. Lovely."

"As long as it's done before midnight. Unless you infiltrate that base now and get the programs and stuff needed to alter my memories," Agatha shrugged. "Or you find another way to stop the scans. Whatever comes first."

"I'll find an infected female first. Then I'll find Dana. Then I'll go to the underwater lab. Ragland, knock her out now. No more memories for her at this time," Alex said. "I'll bring back what supplies I can. Once I make the underwater lab safe, you and Dana will both go there. There is food and water there, as well a whole new butt-load of toys."

"I'll look forward to it, then," Ragland said. "I could use some new toys."

"Can't we all?" she grinned with a shrug. "Just remember, Alex. The Commander needs to live. Trap him in a room, if you want."

"I know," Alex nodded. "I'm moving out now."

Ragland nodded and placed a chemical cloth over Agatha's face to knock her unconscious. Now it was time for him to prepare for surgery, and Alex needed to find an infected female. There was one thing he was worried about. _Her presence would make the other females combust. I'll need to find one that would be strong enough to resist her, and that was going to take some time._

"Problem?" Ragland asked. He recognized Alex's brooding face easily.

"Big one. Her presence makes the infected humans here combust. I don't know if any of them will be strong enough to resist her," he admitted.

"Then try this," Ragland said, as he took an empty syringe and filled it with her blood. "Whatever lives after a drop of injected blood will work."

"Good call. Oh...I never did thank you properly for saving Dana."

"You letting me live is thanks enough. I'll start prepping Agatha for surgery. Get me the body I need without killing it. A female one will work best, as I said before."

"Right. I'll be back in a bit," Alex nodded and sped out of the hospital. Once out in the city, he worked his way to where he knew a small pocket of surviving humans were able to live. He switched on his viral scanning senses and targeted an infected female. Running up to her, he pinned her against a wall and gave her a small dose of the injection. She died as flames consumed her body. Swearing to himself, he knew this was going to take time. He didn't have much blood to work with. Taking out the syringe to hold in his hand, he noticed that many of the infected humans cringed and ran from it. _This could save me some time._

For the better part of an hour, he moved through the city with the syringe in his hand. Practically all of the infected humans fled from him, and he was starting to get pissed off. Then he paused, as he noticed one of the females wasn't budging. Moving over to her now, he saw she was only mildly infected. _She was in the first stage of it and was able to resist the power of the syringe. Perfect._ He injected the syringe into her neck, and it halted the process of infection completely. It even started to work the virus into a form of recession.

"Agatha's blood is a...cure?" he blinked and grinned. He just found a way to fully protect the good doctor and his former sister from the spreading virus. Knocking the sobbing woman unconscious, he moved swiftly back to the hospital with her. He thought of possibly using the woman's hormones for Agatha, but it didn't fit right with him. _I'd rather have someone I can trust. That someone was Dana._ On reaching the doctor, he told him what he found out about Agatha's blood.

"Her blood is a cure?! I'll prepare a shot for your sister and one for myself right now. I'll keep a few others handy in case we need them," Ragland said.

"Fine," Alex nodded. "Here is your living body for the heart bomb transplant."

"Good. I'll get to work immediately," the doctor nodded.

"Oh, can I get a DNA sample of yours and Dana's? I may need to plug them into the base when I get there to mark you both safe."

"Oh! Yes, of course. Here," Ragland said, as he moved swiftly into the lab to pull out the DNA samples he needed. Another syringe filled with Agatha's blood was given to Alex, and he sped out of the hospital to find his former sister. Dana always saw him as her brother, and he knew she would trust him with everything he told her. Finding her new safe house, he entered through the roof and found her sitting at a computer.

"Fuck! Alex, you could have told me it was you!" she said. Her short, black hair and large, brown eyes stared at him with a touch of annoyance.

"Sorry. I found a cure for you. To keep you from getting infected. But, once you take it, I'm going to need your help," he said.

"Oh? Fill me in," Dana said. He sat down and told her about Agatha and her memories. Dana was in shock with everything and thought to herself.

"So, we can use their bio weapon against me to work against them. She agreed to it, since her life is pretty much shot to Hell, anyways," he said.

"She's a ticking time bomb right now!" Dana freaked.

"Still, it's a chance we have to take. Right now, Ragland is removing the wires around her heart to attach to the other woman I found. Here, inject this into you, and you'll be safe from infection," he said, as he gave her the syringe. "I need to get to that lab to make it safe for us."

"When does she need those hormones? To have kids with?" she asked.

"Ah. Likely before you leave for the lab. If you don't help...well...I'll have to find someone else, and that will be a pain in the ass."

"But, it would be like you're fucking me!" she said with disgust.

"Would you rather I fuck you than someone else?" he countered. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Couldn't they have female hormones there? For when she got back?"

"That...is possible..." he mused. "I'll have to look."

"If they don't...fine. You can use me. I'd rather not, though," she admitted.

"I'll see what I can find. If you go to Ragland now, don't disturb him!" he warned. "We'll all be blown up if he makes one mistake."

"Right. Fine, I'll see if he needs my help. I know how to get there safely with the maps you gave me," she nodded. He nodded back to her and made his way to the cryo tube. _So far, there was no nuclear explosion._ He hoped the place wouldn't be a smoking pit when he got back. Shifting his form into Agatha's body, the scanner recognized the DNA pattern and let him slip in. Once he was frozen, the cryo tube launched and landed in the water to dive to the waiting base below the water.


	5. Chapter 5

When the cryo tube opened to reveal his frozen form in Agatha's body, the scanners picked up none of his DNA genetics. It was when he changed back that the sensors would go haywire and pick him up as a threat. Leopold was running up to the cryo tube chamber now to confront him. On looking at the depraved human, he growled inwardly.

"You're back so soon! Our calculations were completely off! Still, this is unexpected! Come, Agatha. We must scan your memories to ensure that Project Zeus is dead," Leopold said.

"Actually," he said, as he replicated her tone of voice perfectly with a touch of lust. "I was hoping we could talk alone first..."

"Oh, my! So soon? Well..." Leopold thought and grinned. "I suppose the memory scans could wait..."

"I'm sure they can," he purred out beautifully. _The human was baited and caught._ Alex was rushed into a spare storage chamber, and the lead scientist was giggling. Alex studied the room they were in and noticed there were no cameras or DNA sensors here.

"I know that you need to be injected with the proper hormones, and, well, we don't have any right now," Leopold drooled. "But, I'm sure that little detail can wait..."

"Actually," Alex grinned, as his form shifted back with split-second precision. The claws came out, and he skewered the human as he consumed him. "that detail...can't wait..."

Leopold had no chance. Once the man's body was fully consumed, all of his memories now belonged to Alex. Thinking them over, he now knew how to operate the entire station. _And he knew every single code and key to every file and lock on board._ Smirking, he waited about twenty minutes before assuming the scientist's form. Walking out of the storage unit, he gave a small smile to passing staff. It was only obvious as to what they were thinking. They didn't even make it down the hall when they found themselves gutted in half. Alex made sure to keep everything neat and orderly. _It was a good thing the storage room had lots of empty tubs..._

There were approximately fifty humans on the base. _All of them were males._ Alex sighed, as he was going to have to ask Dana for her help. He was hoping for at least one human female here. As each human seemed to 'vanish' mysteriously, panic started to set in. Then the DNA intruder alarms went off and sent everyone into a frenzy.

"Stay calm, people!" Sergeant Thomas said and ran up to Alex in his Leopold guise. "Sir! People are vanishing! Ever since we let Project Hera back on board, something hasn't been right! Do you have any ideas?"

"I do," Alex said, as his form shifted to his real one, and he consumed the Sergeant. This man had even more secrets, and his form would be used to lure in the Commander. Heading into the control room, he deactivated the satellite, but decided to wait on having it self-destruct. He still needed a phone to contact the Commander with. At least he delayed the scanning, and now he scoured over any possible way to deactivate the bomb in Agatha.

What he found out pissed him off. _There was no deactivation option. Doctor Ragland_ had _to be successful, or they were all dead._ Growling at this, he decided to wipe out the rest of the staff on board. He was quite careful not to consume any of them. He needed to keep the Sergeant's form. After a few more minutes of successful human cleansing, he checked for any life forms. He was the only one alive, as well as the livestock. He registered his viral DNA as non-hostile to keep the threat level down to nothing.

He cleansed the system of all other human DNA after that, but he saved the Sergeant's and Leopold's. _I might need their DNA later._ Then he blinked, as he saw the Commander's DNA in the system, and he grinned. _That would save me some time, but there wasn't much._ He'd have to get more from the man, and he smirked. It was time to coax Commander Harrison out of hiding on land, and he knew how to do it. Heading into the control room, he reactivated the satellite and went to make that call.

Assuming Sergeant Thomas's form, he sat in the desk that used to be the man's office and did a video call. Reaching a receptionist, he requested the call to go through. It was transferred immediately.

"Sergeant Thomas?" Commander Harrison said, as he answered the video phone call at his desk. He was now curious as to what was going on.

"We have a problem!" Alex said in his newly panicked tone.

"What's the problem?" the Commander asked quietly.

"I beg pardon for speaking frankly, but Professor Leopold is a fucking quack, Sir! He's killing off all the staff! I need you to help me contain him! He's completely out of control! Ever since Project Hera got back-!"

"Project Hera returned?! Fuck! All right, send someone to my location, and I'll be there as fast as I can! Does this mean that Project Zeus is dead?"

"I don't see why else she'd be back here! But, the Professor took her into an empty room before scanning her memories..."

The Commander swore violently and reached over to switch off the phone. Alex grinned and now saw why Agatha thought the human would be the perfect stud. _The man clearly liked her, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Commander Harrison didn't show any interest in the false situation until I mentioned her and Leopold being in an empty room together. And he had a rather high station._ A bonus, if Alex didn't say so himself. Calling the proper authorities to collect the Commander to bring him to the station, he waited for the orders to be confirmed. He now recalled that it was Sergeant Thomas that was the pilot for the Commander before, but the man was in a rush. _He'd pull strings to get where he needed to go. Maybe even pull rank._

Once the call was done, he settled back in the chair. He silently congratulated himself on a job well done. However, he now had to wait for Commander Harrison to appear. Only after the calls were made, did he go into the control room and have the satellite self-destruct in space to completely get rid of it. Getting up, he decided to start seeing which rooms would be the perfect place to trap him. And, he also decided to see which rooms would make the perfect nurseries.

Two hours passed by slowly, but he was used to being patient. He studied the defensive systems inside and out to help pass the time. He even found the duplicate cells of Agatha, but he decided not to destroy them. _If something happened to her, I could bring her back with them. They could be vital. Leopold's memories are crucial about this._ He even found the server that stored her duplicate memories, and he kept them safe, too. On searching for anything else, he grumbled when there truly were no other female hormones on the base. He just grinned when he knew how 'pleased' Dana would be when she would have to help him. When the sound of a submarine boarding the station was heard, he assumed the guise of the Sergeant and ran over to meet the Commander. When the submarine was gone, Alex acted exasperated.

"Where are the others?! Where is Project Hera?" Commander Harrison frowned.

"This way! We managed to quarantine her!" Alex said and led him into one of the newly abandoned rooms. Then the door sealed behind them, and Alex appeared in his true form.

"Project...Zeus? Holy shit!" the Commander swore.

"Surprised? Don't be. You knew first hand that this was going to happen," Alex growled out. "I'd kill you here and now, but Agatha has other plans for you. You may enjoy them. Considering you'll be the only human able to fuck her..."

"What?!" Commander Harrison gaped.

"All the others on this station are dead. Done by yours truly," Alex snickered. "Agatha is currently getting the bomb removed from a very talented doctor that I trust more than my own life. Considering that he saved it several times before..."

"Doctor Bradley Ragland still lives?!"

"Yes. I give a shit about him. Agatha wants me to give a shit about you. As to why...well...like I said before. You'll be able to fuck her and give her the children needed to reproduce. You will help her, and myself, build an army. Whether you like it or not."

"I'll kill myself before I betray my country!"

"And what has your country ever given you? A paycheck combined with a sack of shit to sleep with? Really? Is that all you ever think of? Dying for your country? How about living for your country and wiping all the fucking maggots out of it?! Like the ones that take this country for granted? Or, how about the ones that murder others without a cause for justice and simply wait in a cell until the courts let them go to do it again? Even the ones that abuse the law and get away with a simple slap on the wrist? You want to let them live while you suffer?"

"You're the same way! You wiped out everyone on this base!"

"Yes, I did. But, you knew what they were planning on doing with Agatha. Fuck, I even saw how you scrambled to get here as fast as you could when I told you that Leopold was going to fuck her!" Alex snarled out.

"I wanted to ensure that she wasn't going to be used outright on her first day back," the Commander argued. "She...deserved a break."

"That's bullshit and you know it. Think of it like this. You can keep a close eye on her this way. I suppose we could even come to you for advice, if needed. You do know the ins and outs of the government facilities. But, don't think for a second that we'd let you go free. I'd rather slaughter you and consume your memories before granting you that chance."

"I'll kill myself! Before I let you or her use me as a pawn!"

"We are all pawns somewhere. Aren't we? Seriously? Well, if your mind is made up on wasting your own life..."

"I'll hang myself before I give in."

"Fine. I'll help you," Alex sneered, and he launched himself at Commander Harrison. Then he plastered the man to the wall with his own viral tissues. "Oops! Looks like you're stuck here. I'm sure you can survive the rest of the day without food or water. Don't worry. You won't be alone soon."

"You won't get away with this!" Commander Harrison shouted, as he tried and failed to pry his arms and legs from the wall. The tissue was like rubber cement and hardened five times as fast. He was permanently stuck there for now. Then he scratched the Commander's skin to get a sample of his DNA for the base's computer systems and to keep an excess for emergencies.

"I just did. Now, I need to make sure that Agatha's heart is still beating and that the island isn't a charred wreckage. If you'll...excuse me for lack of being a proper host," he grinned and walked out of the room, ignoring the screams and swearing of the Commander.

He went to the main computer first to put in more of the Commander's DNA. He now brought out the samples of Ragland's DNA and Dana's DNA, and he put them in the system next. Heading to the cryo tube after that, he reprogrammed it easily with the key codes to accept the DNA of himself, Doctor Ragland, and Dana. He withheld the Commander's DNA in case he tried to escape somehow. With it set for the same coordinates to the island, he entered it, let it freeze him, and it took off back to the island.


	6. Chapter 6

The island was still in one piece. The cryo tube launched itself back up to where it stood before when it got to the island, and Alex stepped out of it. It was just past noon, and he looked around grimly. Moving swiftly now, he made his way to the hospital where Dana was watching Ragland settle another wire into the heart of the other female with maximum precision.

"Alex!" Dana gasped, and he nodded to her.

"The underwater base is secured, and a certain Commander Harrison is trapped in a room. Dana, you need to get to the base and learn all about the systems. You can ignore the Commander until Ragland gets there, or until I get there. Best let Ragland deal with him. I'll take you to the cryo tube. Just send it back when you're done. You just have to hit the red button over the door, and it will come back on its own. Explore the place at your leisure, but remember. Don't free the Commander, or he'll kill you and himself. He's vital to me for now. If you want to feed him, then feed him. You don't have to, and he likely won't eat until he's downright starving," Alex said. "Oh, there were no female hormones found on the base. I need some of your blood. Please."

"Ugh! All right! Fine," she grumbled. A syringe was found, and her blood was taken. Then she looked at him and said, "You owe me one for this!"

"Thanks. Now, are you ready to head to the base?"

"All right. Take me to the cryo tube. Oh, and Agatha's blood...cured me fully. Thanks," she said. Alex nodded, scooped up his former sister, and darted out the doors with her. Taking her to the cryo tube, he showed her the button that needed to be pressed to send it back.

"Get there, explore, and learn what you can. I couldn't find a real form of communication that we could use to relay to each other. As for the satellite, I destroyed it. Now, go!" he growled.

"I'm going!" Dana nodded and slipped into the cryo tube. Once it launched off, he waited for it to come back. An hour later, it resurfaced with no passenger within it. Only after it settled back on the building and in front of him, did he turn and run back to the hospital. When he got there, he examined Agatha's body, as she was cut open to reveal her innards.

She still breathed, and three of the four wires were removed. Ragland had managed to dislodge the bomb carefully from her skull first and had unwound it from her spine. Already, her body was healing from the damage the bomb had done from the implantation. _He was right in removing the bomb first to free the wires from her spine. He needed to get enough slack to move the wires bound to her heart._ Alex remained silent, though. He wasn't going to interrupt Ragland's intense focus. _The last wire was being moved to the other female now. He _needed_ his focus._ The doctor timed the beats carefully and swiftly moved the wire into its last resting place in the other female. Ragland breathed a sigh of relief, as the hard part was over. All he had left to do was place the bomb into the other female, and they could dispose of her safely. Agatha was bomb free.

"I destroyed the satellite, so you no longer have a time limit. Let's finish the job," Alex said. "Oh, and before you ask, no, there is no cancellation button."

"Damn," Ragland breathed. "Well, for all it's worth, Agatha is free and clear. I'll stitch up this woman, and you can remove her from the island."

"That's what I want to hear," Alex nodded. When the surgery was done, Alex gathered up the unconscious female and took her to one of the few helicopters that still worked on the island. He kept it safe for emergencies like this. Pushing her body into the side cockpit, he flew the chopper up and over the ocean. Then he shoved her body out and flew the helicopter out of range. Once the woman drowned and her heart stopped, the explosion was intense.

Landing the helicopter back to where it was, he moved back to where Ragland was stitching up Agatha.

"I need Dana's female hormones isolated and injected into Agatha so she can become receptive for breeding. If you can do that for me, I'll take you to the cryo tube so you can get to the base," Alex said. He further told the doctor about the Commander that was imprisoned there. Ragland nodded before taking the blood from Alex to isolate the hormones needed. Once that shot was ready, it was injected into Agatha's regenerating body.

"All right. I'm eager to see this underwater base," Ragland said, as he started to gather up anything he knew he would need to bring with him. Alex nodded and brought over the helicopter to help the doctor get to the cryo tube. He wasn't about to start running around with the man flung over his shoulder. He had his standards. Once they got there, he told Ragland how the cryo tube would come back.

"Press this button here to send it back so that Agatha and I can join up later," Alex said.

"Is there anyone else you plan to send over?" Ragland asked.

"Only those I give a shit about. You and Dana are the only ones. There shouldn't be any others," Alex shrugged. Ragland grinned, and they shook hands before the doctor entered the cryo tube. An hour after it took off, it came back empty, and he was heading back to the hospital to see to Agatha. She was still unconscious, but her body was regenerating rapidly. He remember what she said about proteins being needed and he thought. There might be some steaks left over in the kitchen area, and I found those for Dana. He didn't need to eat. There was no real need for him to. If he truly did need something, he'd track down an infected human to consume or a Hunter.

He leaned against an operating table and waited. He didn't want to interrupt her regenerating process. _She had gone through hell in only two days after fully waking up._ He hated to admit it, but he gave a shit about her now. It was the closest thing he could come to caring about her. Closing his eyes, as he thought about various things, he chuckled to himself that it took about three weeks for one infestation to start. _Now another was going to happen within the same time frame three years later. Everything had to come in threes, didn't it?_

"What's so funny?" Agatha asked, as she sat up to look at him. Her wounds were nearly gone, and the stitches were being naturally rejected by her body. In another few minutes, she wouldn't have a scar to show what happened.

"Hmm? Oh. Just how things are turning out. The underwater base is secure. Your bomb is gone, the satellite destroyed. Your toy is locked up in a room on the base, too. I already sent Dana and Ragland there. The cryo tube is here. It was a nice change," he grinned.

"Already? You move swiftly! At least I know that I'm no longer going to die. How did that slob handle you?" she smiled.

"Leopold? Let's just say that I let him try to get acquainted. Then I fucked him up, as I consumed him. That was fun," he grinned even wider.

"He didn't even leave a bad taste in your mouth?"

"I felt the urge to vomit, but I don't vomit anymore."

"Ahh."

"Otherwise, things are starting to look up," he said, as he moved to her side.

"Always a good thing," she nodded and hopped off the examining table to move away from him to stretch. Watching her now, he paused when he realized something. _Her scent was becoming rather intoxicating now..._

"So...what do you want to do?" he asked, as he tried to get close to her again.

"I'm a bit hungry, actually," she said, as she slipped away from him again. Her hair came alive and seemed to writhe over her. Her clothes were removed from the surgery, and she had to cover herself somehow. Her hair was being instinctive about it. It was the same thing that happened when she first came out of the tube in the underwater base.

"Come here, and I'll help you find something," he said and moved towards her.

"I don't know," she thought and moved away to head up to the main floor of the hospital. "I think I can find something for myself."

"Get back here," he growled in warning.

"Why?" she asked, as she looked at him. _Why wasn't she staying close to me?! It was like she was deliberately trying to get me to chase her!_ Then he blinked in thought. He tried to move to her side, and again she widened the distance.

"Do you want me to chase you?" he asked.

"Chase me? No! I just feel...odd...next to you..." she said.

"Odd?"

"It's like...this wanting feeling that I don't really want..."

"So, you want me, but you don't want me?"

"If that's what it is. Maybe," she shrugged.

"You do know that you were injected with my former sister's hormones before you woke up. Right? It's quite possible that you could be ready to breed."

"You think so? Huh. That could be it. But, I'm not ready to breed."

"I beg to differ," he growled, as her scent seemed to dance around him again.

"Maybe after I eat I'll feel better," she thought and slipped away from him to find the kitchen area. He followed her and paused, as he thought he saw something move over the window. _Could it be that she wasn't only attracting me, but others as well? That couldn't be good. I need to claim her now._ When they got into the kitchen, he barricaded the door and launched himself at her. She shrieked from the surprise assault, and her hair moved to form the spiked wall to defend herself. He averted himself to leap behind her, and found that her hair had literally formed a spiked cocoon around her.

"Agatha!" he hissed. "We have to be together now! Other things are coming here!"

"No!" she growled out from within the spiked fortress. He was about to use force, but he paused. _I need to entice her out. I have to prove that I'm different. That I'm worthy._ It was an instinctive thought, and he went with it. Slowly, he let his hand move along one of the spikes to the base from where it stood out. The effect was drastic, and she shivered.

"Come on, Agatha," he murmured roughly.

"No..." she muttered out a bit stubbornly.

"Let me in," he grounded out, as he lightly touched along the surface of the spiked cocoon again. She convulsed, and her hair started to soften. He didn't stop to gloat. He needed to seed her and show everyone and everything that she was claimed. More soft touches and caresses were given, and her hair parted to reveal her crouched on the floor.

"Leave me alone..." she whimpered and gasped, as he moved swiftly to cover her with his body. She was trembling with a form of fright, since she didn't know what to expect now.

"You know I can't do that," he muttered and pushed her onto the floor. His body moved to coat over hers like a second skin, and she cried out at the sensation of brief pain before something thrusted sharply into her. After a moment of no movement from him, she felt his viral body tremble and something pulsed within her. He was seeding her and holding her still as he did it. The pain was able to melt away, but her heart was beating fast.

The moment he claimed her as his own, he felt the other presences outside the building filter away. _This was my Queen. My mate._ He felt her form quiver, as he continued to fill her. _How long was this going to last?_ He wasn't even sure. He was driven by pure instinct alone, and this was what his body was having him do. There was no real pleasure in it. He could try to make it pleasuring, but he wasn't sure how it would work. He had consumed enough humans to know what to do, and even his past human life could give him some ideas. Right now, though, it was all business. _Maybe next time I can try something different._

For the better part of an hour, she was locked to him on the ground. When he finally moved off of her to reform in a crouch by her side, she was shivering.

"I...really need to eat something..." she frowned. That made him smirk, and he lifted her off the floor to set her in a chair. Searching the freezers, he found a frozen steak and stuck it in an oven to start heating it up. A couple more were pulled out to start thawing, and he moved back to her side. She found herself leaning into him now, and he didn't mind it at all.

"I think we should change our names when we are alone," he mused.

"Oh? To what?"

"Zeus and Hera."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"Well, like a god, I'm practically immortal. In time, hopefully, you should be, too. You have my former sister's genetic hormones in you. Zeus and Hera were brother and sister. Then he took his sister as a wife. I think it's fitting."

"Maybe," she thought and winced at a sharp pain in her belly. He glanced down at her and ran a hand over her womb. Then he grinned.

"I feel them. Do you?"

"Them?! What are you talking about?!" she freaked.

"Our offspring. What else would I talk to you about? But, yes. I can feel them growing. Something growing, anyways. Multiples, in fact. It's like you were truly designed to breed, and I simply sped up the process."

"Less than two days old, and I'm already fit to be a breeding machine," she muttered. She winced again when her belly started to stretch.

"Hmm..." he thought and went to check on the steak in the oven. It was almost done, and he turned to glance at her again. His eyes widened. _Her belly was still stretching._

"I'm really starting to get hungry!" she growled out. Now he was getting concerned. _She needed to feed on something. Anything at this point. Her pregnancy happened much too fast, and she was on an empty stomach._ Bringing the half-cooked steak to her, she pounced it and tore into it ravenously. He threw the steaks he had thawing into the oven and thought. _She just ate a form of raw meat. I didn't have to fully cook it._

"Will any form of meat work? Infected or not?" he asked.

"At this point, I doubt it would matter," she frowned. "I'm just...hungry."

"When these steaks are done, I'll see what else I can find," he nodded. She seemed to pout before wincing, as her belly stretched again.

"What the fuck did you do to me?!" she hissed in pain.

"I have no clue," he said honestly. "This is a first for me."

"Zeus," she whimpered. "There's no way for you to see?"

"I'll try," he said, as he moved to her side to place a hand on her growing belly. Focusing a bit as though to find his DNA, he paused at what he discovered.

"Anything?" she asked.

"It's almost like...eggs," he frowned.

"Eggs?" she asked slowly.

"Yes. It would explain why there are so many, if you think about it."

"But, how many are there?"

"That's what I don't know. I just know that there are...a lot."

"Wonderful. Fucking lovely," she growled. He checked on the steaks and pulled them out to give to her. Bringing them to her, she ate them as ravenously as the first one despite how hot they were. They were still frozen in the center, but he could tell that she didn't care. _She needed to eat._ He felt this urge to protect her now. _She was carrying the first of our army, after all. I need to get her more food. More proteins._

"Let me grab an infected human. Maybe a Hunter, too. We'll see how you fair with them," he said. "Maybe I'll just grab the Hunter first. More meat on them."

"Fine," she nodded. As he moved past her, he stopped to lightly caress her cheek before heading out. Blinking at him now, she watched his form speed off. She ran a hand over her growing belly and settled to wait for him.

The moment he got outside, he began to hunt. _I want to bring down a large Hunter first. Maybe, if she needed more, I'll hunt a good sized infected human._ Sprinting up to the top of the nearest building, he paused to watch the streets below. Then he moved towards one of the few hives that were left by the first infection. It was here that he found the Hunter he needed, and he brought it down quickly. He killed off any of the lesser ones that tried to interfere, and he hauled the massive body back to the hospital. Dragging the body into the kitchen, he blinked at Agatha. _Her belly had stretched a bit more while I was out._

"How do you want it? Like this? Or in pieces?" he asked.

"I can try to consume it, but I don't know if it will have the same effect as eating it," she said. Moving to her side to help her up, she gasped at the simple movement to stand. Then she nearly collapsed to the floor. He caught her up quickly before she toppled fully.

"Bedridden," he frowned and finally carried her back to the chair. "All right. I'll cut it into pieces. We'll try a small piece to see what happens."

"Okay," she nodded. Unveiling his clawed hands, he sliced into the corpse to remove a meaty bicep, and she took it off the claw it dangled from. Tearing into it, she chewed lightly and thought. Then she took another bite. And then another.

"Anything?" he asked curiously.

"I'm eating it, aren't I?!" she growled and finished off the last piece. "I need more."

"I'll just bring you Hunters, then. Fuck the humans," he shrugged and continued to hack into the massive corpse to feed her small pieces. She managed to eat the whole thing, save the bones. He discarded them and looked back at her with surprise. She was sleeping now.

Thinking as he moved to her side, he lifted her up and was surprised at how light she still seemed, despite her growing belly and mass consumption of flesh. _Her body was simply absorbing everything she was eating._ It was time to find a nursery and to put her in a safe place while he searched for a main base of operations. Then he blinked and thought. _Couldn't the hospital work? Other creatures never really came this far out and only stayed in the central part of the city. There was also a military base that lay abandoned not far off._ He clearly didn't want to leave her like this when she was so defenseless. Deciding to stick with the hospital, since he was already in it, anyways, he figured it would be the best place for her.

He felt her shudder, and her belly stretched again. He moved her into one of the highest bedrooms of the building, and he set her in the largest bed he could find. Sitting next to her, he placed his hands on her belly to monitor the eggs developing inside her. For the next six hours it was like this. Every hour, her belly stretched a touch more, and he continued to monitor her. When she finally stirred, she looked around at where she was before settling her gaze on him, as he was focused on her belly. She was amazed at how large she was.

"How long did I sleep for?" she asked.

"Awake?" he frowned, as he looked at her. "A good six hours or so."

"I see. Um...I'm hungry again," she said slowly.

"Again? All right. I'll go bring in some meat for you," he said. He paused, as she snatched his hand to pull him back to her. "What is it?"

"Don't leave yet," she shivered and cringed.

"What's wrong?" he growled, and she whimpered. Then she screamed, as her body racked with pain. He hissed and felt her belly. Now his jaw dropped with the rare shock of surprise. _She was ready to go into labor!_

"Zeus!" she cried out and panted. He didn't know what to do. Then he switched to his instinct. He moved to a wall and planted his hands on it to let his viral tissue start to cover the surface. It spread to the ceiling, and now several large tentacles hung down with small gaps within them. They resembled small pockets for the eggs to fit in. If the tentacles were disturbed, they would coil up protectively to the ceiling. With that ready, he moved to assist with her labors. She heaved, and he pulled out an egg as it emerged. Unable to examine it at the moment, he moved to place it in one of the gaps within the tentacles he made. This was what he had to do for the next fifty eggs. When the last one finally came out, her body sagged with exhaustion.

"Look," he whispered, as he held up the egg to her. It fit in the palm of his hand, but was as large as a grapefruit. It was incredibly warm, as well as soft. She blinked at it curiously. It resembled a clear, plastic-like oval that was covered in protective mucus. In the clear shell was a fetus. And it was growing rather rapidly. There weren't any nutrient sacks, but then he noticed that it was absorbing the fluid in the egg slowly. The fluid itself was the food source, and that had him intrigued beyond belief. He moved to place it in a waiting tentacle, and he noticed that the lining of the tentacle tissue would expand with the fetus. When the egg hatched, the tentacle would be ready for the next batch.

She groaned softly, and he moved to her side to hold her close.

"That was painful," she sighed. He watched her body regenerate back to the way she was before the birthing, and he ran a hand over her belly. She winced at the tenderness there, but she was healing all the same.

"Still hungry?" he asked. She nodded and shivered. He knew she was still incredibly weak and vulnerable. "How hungry are you?"

"I need to heal more," she sighed. "Is it always going to be like this? Less than a day after being with you, and I give birth to eggs?"

"It looks like it. Come to think of it...I have an urge to fuck you now..."

"Now? After just doing...this?! Are you insane?!" she hissed.

"Watch me," he grinned, and she cried out as he let his body cover over hers again. _This was how our little army was going to start on the island. Our offspring were going to swarm out like a plague and kill everything in sight. They would cover this island to distract the military with a 'new' threat, as the real threat would be hidden beneath the ocean. Right under their noses._ All of this was playing out in his mind, as he seeded her again. When he pulled away from her to watch her an hour later, she had her eyes closed. Now she opened them and looked at him helplessly.

"You're going to end up killing me," she whispered. She could feel the new eggs forming already. She also knew that there were more of them.

"No. You were made for this. You were made for me," he whispered back, as his hand rested on her belly. "This is your purpose. To get back at those sons of bitches that fucked us over for too long!"

She whimpered and he held her tight to him now. Looking out the window to judge the time, he thought. _We have to get to the underwater base soon. The drones we just created will hatch and cause chaos on their own level. After she birthed this next set of eggs, I'll take her to the underwater base and see to the Commander._ He had a feeling that she would be able to break him in her own way. Usually, his feelings were always right.

"I'm starving now," she gasped, as she trembled.

"I'll hunt for you," he nodded and managed to press a small kiss to her forehead. He needed to try and start showing some form of affection for her. It would strengthen their bond and show that he gave more than just a shit for her. After he left the room, she gave a weak smile to herself. _He definitely appears to be reliable._ At least she could depend on him for that.


	7. Chapter 7

It was another two days before she was fit enough to go to the cryo tube. He had to fight every instinct he had to breed with her again, and it was complete torture. He knew she had made over a hundred eggs, and they would likely hatch within the next week. It could be even sooner than that with how fast they were developing. He kept one of their eggs with them from the second batch they made together so Ragland could study it, and so they could see how the fetal egg grew and hatched.

She had dressed back in her white camouflage clothing to be somewhat presentable to the others. He pressed a kiss to her mouth, as she went into the cryo tube, and he launched it. He knew she was going to go straight to Commander Harrison to see how he was. _She needed to make sure her prized stud male was in peak health condition._ Their old names would also be used, since they wouldn't be alone. He liked being called Zeus, but that was only for them to hear. Not for the others.

When she got there, Ragland let her out of the tube, and it was sent back for Alex. She nodded to Dana and moved into the room the Commander was trapped in. What she saw was a sad fate. He badly needed a shower and a shave. There was no way he could have used a bathroom, so he had to urinate in his clothes. Ragland did manage to clean him up as much as he could when the man was passed out. He had refused all forms of food or water, and Ragland was almost at the point of getting a feeding tube into his gut just to force him to live. The honor bound man had tried to sway them away from the want to help Alex with what he wanted. It simply didn't work with them.

"Commander Harrison?" she asked, as she walked over to him. He was still strained against the wall, and he coughed. He was at his limit and was ready to simply give in. She knew he would be rather easy to break now. _Especially, since he would be speaking with me._

"Project...Hera? Agatha?" he asked weakly.

"Hush now. It's all right. I'm here," she whispered and moved to lightly touch a hand to his chest. The shirt and coat were pulled apart to show bare flesh, as Ragland was preparing to run the feeding tube into him. He gasped and heaved with a form of relief.

"No one would...tell me...where you were..." he whimpered out.

"Commander..." she smiled softly. "I was doing my job. You of all people should know that. And...worried about me? Why?"

"Just...at least..." he trembled, as his gut rumbled furiously. Ragland brought her some food and water for him. Nodding to him, she stood up close to the trapped man and sighed.

"Will you eat for me? Drink for me? I don't want you to die," she said.

"But...you'll use me...against...my country..." he whispered. When she brought the cool, crisp water to his lips, all he could do was drink down the refreshing liquid. The instinct to survive was too strong to resist now. The moment the water touched his parched mouth, he gave in. The food was soft and easy for him to digest. It was also very tasty, and he accepted it readily. She alternated between food and water until she knew he had enough. Ragland saw this and nodded to her to leave them alone in the room. Once the emergency was averted of losing her prized stud male, she was ready to talk to him and brief him on certain viewpoints.

"My dear Commander Harrison," she smiled, as she stroked his rough cheek fondly. "You won't be used against your country. You'll be used to help change it. For the better. And you will be right there with me as it happens."

"Change it?" he asked weakly. "Make the country...better?"

"Yes. Now, I will have...Alex...remove these bonds so you can shower and get cleaned up. I'm sure you need to exercise your limbs now, and I don't want you to be weak. You need to make yourself strong again. But...just remember..."

"Remember what?" he asked and tried to focus.

"If you betray me even once..." she said, and she narrowed her eyes. "I will have you killed. Regardless of what it is about, and no matter how much I like you."

"I swear I won't betray you," he promised without even thinking. He was always a man of his word. "But, wasn't your job to defeat Project Zeus? I mean...well..."

"He saved my life by removing the bomb from my body," she said. "In return, I joined up with him. And, yes...I have given him offspring. They are on the island to draw attention away from us. As to what they look like, I don't know yet. I seem to give birth to...eggs."

"You...already had sex with that...with him?" his jaw dropped. "And now you...why did I agree to never betray you?!"

"Because you like me," she purred and ran a hand over his lightly bearded jaw. He shivered, and it wasn't with disgust. "Besides, I've been extremely curious as to how a human can make me feel when it comes to sex. Don't you want to help me with that?"

"But...any children that we make..."

"Will be protected," she promised. "Remember what Leopold said? From what the scientists could gather about me? Only children that come from humans will be able to reproduce. The ones I create with Alex are supposed to be sexless drones. Offspring made to attack and kill. They have no need for protection. They can protect themselves, as well as us. They are our soldiers. You are to make future breeders with me. Little princes and princesses. They will be kept safe."

"What happens when they are grown?"

"They will be sent out into the world to make their own nests. Their own families. I don't know how fast they will grow, or how fast they will learn. You can help teach them how to survive. How to protect themselves. I'm not sure what they will know, but...don't you want to help them and care for them as much as you can? Especially, if they will not be with us for very long? Surely you want to be some form of a father figure. Don't you?"

"Damn you..." he growled and hung his head. She got to him now. _I always wanted to be a family man, but I never really wanted to have the family for very long. With her, I could do just that. Raise the children just enough and send them out._ He didn't know how many children she would give him, or how many at a time.

"I think Alex is here," she crooned and moved away.

"Wait," he said.

"Yes?"

"How many...offspring...did you leave on that island? How many eggs?"

"Over a hundred in less than three days," she grinned softly. "It was painful, but very rewarding. And I had to eat quite a few infected creatures to get the proteins I needed."

"Over...a hundred?!" he hissed.

"I don't know what it will be like with you. We'll have to see. Won't we?" she smiled and turned, as Alex opened the door. He moved to her side to kiss her possessively, and he glared at the man on the wall.

"Is he joining us?" Alex asked.

"He is. Free him. He knows what will happen, if he betrays me even once," she nodded.

"Fine," Alex grumbled. He reached up, touched the hardened flesh locks around the man's limbs and removed them. The Commander fell to the ground weakly, and Agatha moved to help him stand. He had to lean on her heavily just to do that.

"Get Ragland? He can help him recuperate," she said. Alex nodded and left the room.

"Agatha..." Commander Harrison sighed. "I don't want you to call me Commander all the time. Just...call me Robert. I'm going to have to head back to my place on land to gather some of my other personal belongings. I'll bring them here. I have other military uniforms, and I know I'm going to have to contact a few people to let them know I'm all right. As I said before...I won't betray you. I locked myself into this. I'm a man of my word."

"I will have Alex's sister, Dana, accompany you to help you. She is trustworthy," Agatha nodded. "And she can help you, since you are a bit weakened."

"Yeah. I met her. She's a good girl," he nodded. "Crazy for helping you both, but she's a good girl. The doctor is good, too. Kinda glad I didn't need a feeding tube in my gut."

"That's why I wanted to talk to you first. Now, let's get you cleaned up and presentable for the submarine that will escort you and Dana back to land. Shall we?" she asked.

"We have no way of communication from here other than the video phones, right?" he asked. "And the signal used on the video phones could be traced somehow. I may be able to get ahold of something a bit more secure."

"Any ideas that you have would be wonderful," she said with a smile, and he felt somewhat pleased that he made her happy. "Now, quit your bitching. Let's get you back up to where you were strength-wise. Come on."

"Right," he grinned. The food and water he just had was making him feel more and more like his old self. It was going to take a couple days for him to get back to where he was. Or was it? He actually felt that he was getting better just by moving around again. She took him over to Ragland first so he could evaluate Robert. Once the health check was confirmed, Ragland took over to help Robert bathe and get into some decent clothes.

"I'm ready to leave when he is!" Dana said, as she walked over.

"Give him some time. He needs to recuperate, and that may be a day or two," Agatha nodded. Ragland walked over to them, and Alex showed him the egg he made with her.

"Incredible!" the doctor blinked. "May I study it?"

"As long as you don't open it, do what you want. We haven't seen them develop or hatch yet. I think this is a drone. They all look the same when she births them," Alex said.

"She gave birth to that?" Dana blinked.

"Over a hundred of them in three days," Agatha smirked. Dana gaped and stared at Alex.

"What?" Alex growled at her and looked at Ragland. "Did you give the Commander a shot of blood? To keep him from getting infected?"

"I did when he was passed out," Ragland nodded. "Don't worry about that."

"There is one thing that bothers me," Agatha frowned.

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"I don't know if I'll require another breeding stud. I mean...if the ones I produce with Robert see themselves as true brother and sister, they might not breed. It may not happen, but it's a thought," she said.

"Well, you were derived from my DNA. That makes you practically my sister. And you have Dana's hormones in you. She was my human sister. We fuck just fine and can reproduce. I don't think it will be a problem," Alex grinned. "Speaking of fucking..."

"Not here!" Agatha gasped, as he flung her over his shoulder and sped off to a different room with her. When he placed her on the ground, she stopped him with her spiked hair.

"What?!" he snarled.

"There are not enough proteins for me here!" she snarled back. That made him pause, and he swore. _I need to make trips to the island, slaughter several Hunters, and jam them into the cryo tube to keep a healthy supply of meat handy. This was going to be tough._

"Fine. I'll head back to the island and hunt down enough Hunters to fill a meat locker here. Just for you. I can use the cryo tube to send them back here. Fuck...what a pain in the ass!" he growled. The urge to seed her was incredibly strong, but he had to force it back. _I need a stable meat solution for her first. She was right._ He agreed that it would have to wait, and her spikes went back down to normal hair. Gathering her up, he took her back to the others.

"Finished already?" Ragland chuckled.

"I got cock-blocked," Alex muttered. "I need to go back to the island and kill a few Hunters. I'll need your help in emptying the cryo tube. After it's empty, you'll have to send it back to me. She needs a ton of meat during her pregnancies. Protein is the key to her having a stable body for it. She gets ravenously hungry. Hunter flesh is always abundant and plentiful on the island."

"I see," Ragland thought. "I'm sure we can convert one of the spare rooms into a decent meat locker. Dana is skilled enough to reroute some of the refrigeration to the room."

"I can help do that, too," Alex nodded. "Let's do that first so the room will be cold when I start transporting the meat."

"How is Robert?" Agatha asked.

"He's finishing up and dressing now. He has made a marvelous recovery. I think your blood had something to do with that. It may have also kept him alive all this time," Ragland mused. "Anyways, I ran some tests on your egg. The machines here are incredible! I got results within minutes! It is a sexless drone, as you have thought. But, I made another discovery."

"Oh?" Alex asked.

"Apparently, it inherited one method of attack. That whip-claw you have. It has it. I'm sure the other drones you made have one specific style of attack as well. I'm not sure about its speed, but the drones would be working together to take down various things if they only have one specific skill of yours," Ragland said.

"That's...surprising," Alex admitted.

"Probably why I made so many eggs. Better chances for survival," Agatha smiled.

"True," Alex said. "We were also thinking that you could inject various mutations and other DNA attributes into them to make them stronger. We can sacrifice a few eggs for experiments. As for breeding offspring, we won't touch them. If she births them in mass quantities, we'll see. I don't know how many she'll have. Drones are another story."

"Really? Well, let's leave this drone alone to study how it grows. I'm sure that more eggs will be produced soon, and we'll be able to do a bit more with them," Ragland said.

"This is so creepy!" Dana shivered. "It's like I just walked into a science fiction horror film! But, I gotta admit, I'm curious."

"Let's get that room converted into a fridge so I can start fucking my mate," Alex muttered. Agatha shook her head with a smile. Her scent was kicking him, and he wanted to get the room stocked with as much fresh meat as possible. As he and Dana started to work on that, Agatha sat back in a chair to finally relax. Then she blinked, as a clean-shaven Commander moved to sit by her. He was wearing a lab coat, as his military clothing was being cleaned in the base's Laundromat.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"Much," he admitted. "I thought I lost a bit of muscle-mass when I was hung up on that wall. I...honestly don't think I lost anything."

"Ah. Well, Ragland thinks my blood may have stopped you from changing much. It may also be the reason you're alive," she chuckled.

"Your blood?"

"Yes. You were injected with it while you were passed out some time ago. My blood keeps you from getting infected. Apparently, it also keeps you alive, and it keeps your body from getting too weak."

"I...son of a bitch!" he swore. "That would explain it. I feel almost as though I just got out of bed to start a new day. Like none of that shit ever happened to me! Anyways, what's the plan? Like I said to you before, I'm not gonna betray you."

"I know you won't, Robert," she smiled. "What's going on right now is simple. A room is being converted into a giant refrigerator. Alex is going to go back to the island to kill a lot of things, cut them up, and pack them into the cryo tube. Those body parts will be sent here and stored for me to eat during my pregnancies."

"That cryo tube? Huh. I know the military is keeping a close watch on the island. Why hasn't it been discovered yet?"

"That's a good question!" she blinked. "We'll have to ask Alex when he gets back from hunting for me."

"That we should. So, you eat other infected things while pregnant with him? Hmm. I should see about getting some cattle down here. I don't know if you'll be able to eat infected meat with my kids in you. It's just a thought," he said. She blinked and now thought about it.

"You may be right," she said, as she pushed the thought around in her head. "I eat a ton of flesh, though. I don't know how much meat I'd need with your children."

"Are you pregnant now?" he asked.

"No. I need to have a room secured for meat before anything can happen. I get ravenous when I'm pregnant. To a point that it truly hurts."

"Oh. I was going to see if you wanted to try it with me, but, if you need to eat the moment you get pregnant, then we'd have to wait," he sighed.

"You want to fuck me that bad?" she mused.

"I've been wanting to fuck you since I first saw you!"

"Now why would that be?"

"Well..." he paused. "you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. You can survive and handle yourself well on and in the field of battle. Your training tests showed me that. You can also swear like a sailor and not feel ashamed by it."

"So, you like a girl with a dirty mouth?" she grinned.

"More or less," he grinned back. "It shows that you don't give a shit about anyone, and you will always get the job done."

"You know..." she mused. "Within my first twenty-four hours of being on the island to hunt down Alex, he became strong enough to resist me. Remember how Leopold shoved me into the cryo tube before I left?"

"Yes. I wanted to kill him for it!"

"Well..." she sighed. "apparently, one of my strands of hair got smashed in the door. It got separated from my body and was left behind. Alex found it and got stronger than me by consuming it. It was also how he found out he couldn't kill me. He also learned of everything I learned earlier that day. He was able to see my memories and learn from them."

"If Leopold wasn't already dead, I would have easily done the honors of executing him!"

"Oh?"

"He fucked everything over for us in the end!" Robert grimaced.

"I likely would never have seen you, if I had gotten back alive," she said. He looked at her now, and realized that she was right. _She would have been kept from me._ The moment he showed an interest in her, it marked him as someone to be wary of.

"I would have found a way to get to you."

"You think so?"

"I have extremely high connections. I am one of the most commended Commanders in my field of expertise. I know people."

"But, all people can eventually die. Besides, who would want to know that you were interested in fucking a form of virus?" she grinned.

"Need to know basis," he smirked. "Besides, you're an antivirus. Not a true virus."

"Well, what would you have done if I had children with you then?"

"Hmm. Probably hid them from others. Or...likely destroyed them."

"You would have...destroyed..." she blinked with horror. Alex was about to walk into the room, but he paused and stood alongside the doorway to listen in.

"That was if things didn't go this way. I would have had no other choice. I would have had to destroy them. If they were truly corrupted creatures that were hell-bent on destroying everything they touched, then I would have had no other option! They could have been confiscated and sold off! Or...or even worse, and I wouldn't want that."

"I see what you mean. But, how do I know that you won't do that to any of our children now?" she asked. "How would I know?"

"That would be an act of betraying you, which I said I wouldn't do. And, as much as I hate the fact that my sperm would be used to help destroy the world, I...I wouldn't be able to kill my own kids. If I'm going to be raising them myself with you, I'll know they'll be raised somewhat right. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. Come to think of it, I doubt I could harm them, anyways. It would hurt too much."

"And I'd kill you if you tried!" Alex snarled, as he walked out from where he was listening in. "The room is complete. I'm going to go hunting. Commander. What I send back here, you will need to help transfer the meat from the cryo tube to the room. Then send the cryo tube back to the island so I can send more. When I come back, you and Dana will leave via the submarine. You will tell no one of what is going on here!"

"I won't betray her. I won't betray you, either, since that would be betraying her. I don't like you. I like her. I'll do as she says. Not what you say," Robert said with a grim look.

"Then don't betray anything about this base, me, Alex, or anyone else," Agatha said softly. "Play your cards right, and I may be able give you the chance to be with me when you come back. I should be free by then. Hopefully."

"Why not now?" Robert asked.

"As you said, I may need untainted meat. You will have to help me obtain that. There is only so much here that can't be eaten, as it is needed for the doctor and Dana. As well as yourself. Do what you need to do on land. Then come back here with Dana," she said.

"Very well. You could see if some fishing can be done, since you're underwater. It's worth a shot. As for me getting supplies from the military, that's something I won't touch, but I'll see what other strings I can pull," Robert said. "Like I said before, I know people."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. Alex hated the human already. He moved swiftly to her side, pulled her to him and planted a hot kiss on her mouth. _It was a message to Robert to show that this female didn't belong to him. She was only going to be on loan when the time was right._ The urge to breed with her was getting to be excruciatingly painful now. He pulled away from her, as he gasped with control. Now he moved far from her to the cryo tube to send himself off to hunt. Robert had watched the whole thing with jealousy.

"I hate him," he growled.

"I think he hates you, too," she shrugged. "At least you both share a common interest."

"Fuck that!" he snarled out, and she laughed. "I should just fuck you and let him get pissed about it."

"And what will you feed me?"

"Ugh..." he muttered. "You'd eat the entire base of everything, wouldn't you?"

"I don't know. I've never been impregnated by a human before," she chuckled. "I'd rather be safe than sorry, as they say."

"True. I'll probably have some form of fresh cattle sent down. A breeding pair of them with a couple extras. If it's even possible."

"It would help," she nodded.

"How do I check on my office from here?"

"I wouldn't know," she said. Dana walked over to them with a smile.

"What's going on?" Dana asked.

"I need to see what's going on with my office. I don't know how," he sighed.

"I know how! Follow me!" Dana said. Robert nodded and moved to follow her. Agatha sat back again to rest. She was starting to get hungry, but she had to wait. Glancing around, she moved from where she was and found herself going to the tank that first held her. It was cleaned out, sterilized, and ready to accept something else if needed. She felt a bit nostalgic on looking at it. It was her place of creation and birth, in a sense. She turned, as she heard the sound of the cryo tube returning, and the smell of fresh Hunter meat reached her. Her stomach grumbled, but she ignored it. She could hold out a bit longer. Deciding to explore a bit more, she figured it would keep her mind preoccupied.

She endured the hunger pains for the next two cryo trips before she gave in. She had to eat something now. Finding the room the meat was being stored in, she picked up half an arm and tore into it. She blinked when she found arms moving around her waist, but she knew who it was. Alex had returned and sought her out.

"Hungry?" he asked, as he breathed in her scent. He was losing his resolve now.

"Starved! Not because I'm pregnant, though. Which I'm not," she said lightly. "Just really hungry. That's all."

"Well, I think it's time to make you ravenous," he grinned, pulled the half-eaten muscle from her, and tossed it aside. He had chosen this room specifically, since right next to it was a sleeping chamber. It would be easy to bring her the meat she needed this way, and the only way to reach it was through the new meat locker. Practically dragging her into the room was easy. He removed her clothes, tossed them aside, and covered over her body now. She cried out as he seeded her, and this time he was able to give her pleasure with it. When she heard someone approaching, her hair moved swiftly. The tentacles formed into a cocoon around them, and spikes formed to keep the intruders back.

Alex had nearly reformed to attack, but what she did was enough to have him refocus on seeding her. This was what he was aiming for over the past few days, and he gave in to what he was denying himself for so long. After an hour of being with her, he reformed at her side, but her cocoon was still in effect.

"I missed you," she sighed, and he ran a hand over her form.

"I tried not to be gone too long," he sighed back. "You tend to worry a lot."

"Of course, I do!" she said, and her hair finally softened to reform around her. "Oh, do you know why the cryo tube is always undetected by the military?"

"Hmm..." he thought, as he searched the memories. "Ah. The cryo tube has a matching pattern built into it that matches military radar. It slips right through undetected. Courtesy of Leopold and his late staff."

"That would make sense! What else did you do on the island?"

"I checked on our first batch of offspring," he said.

"Did you? What did you find?"

"I brought one of them here for Ragland to study. Come on," he smiled. "I'll show you."

Nodding to him, she rose up and winced, as her belly stretched. He moved to rip off the bed sheet and cover her with it loosely to make room for her growing womb. _Clothing would need to be made for her while she was pregnant. I don't want anyone else to see her naked. The Commander was one thing, since it was needed. He saw her naked when he first saw her, anyways. Even Ragland had a glimpse during the surgery, as well as Dana. I don't want anyone else to have the privilege of seeing her fully naked after that._

He escorted her to the medical wing of the base, and she blinked at the size of the egg now from her first clutch. _It was ten times larger than the one next to it._ The child inside the first egg was easily past the newborn stage and still developing. It was going to be something of a teenager when it hatched. Maybe even a young adult. Clearly sexless, it showed it had the weapon of both arms being deadly hammers to crush and knock out foes with. The chest was becoming rather developed for the strength of the attacks, and its legs were far more developed for jumping attacks if needed. It was going to be a rather ruthless drone. The eyes were closed as though it was sleeping, and a head of short, black hair covered it. The rest of its features could easily pass as human.

"Incredible!" she breathed.

"That it is!" Ragland agreed, as he looked over his charts. "It lacks genitalia, rectal area, and the hormones of male or female. I doubt it would even need to feed. No real internal organs, either, save eyes, a brain, and a beating heart with lungs. It does appear to have some form of vocal cords, but that's it. It doesn't appear to have a real form of intelligence, though we could be wrong. It would be working mainly off of instinct alone. A very deadly and effective weapon the two of you made!"

"I find it odd that the first egg we brought you hasn't quite developed yet," Agatha frowned. Ragland blinked in thought. "It was made about seven hours after this one."

"Come to think of it," Alex frowned. "the ones from our second batch are still small. Now I'm starting to wonder if they will develop in waves. That could slow us down."

"Actually," Ragland said. "you may be right. But, if that's the case, they may develop swiftly. All we can do is wait and see."

"Well, she's pregnant again. I'm going to prepare a chamber for her eggs. Where is Dana? Or the Commander, for that matter?" Alex asked.

"They are getting ready to leave. Dana went to find you, but figured you were busy from that cocoon you were in," Ragland said.

"I'm here now!" Dana said, as she walked over to them. "Robert said he'd take me clothes and food shopping while we were out there. I could pass as his niece, if I wanted to."

"Fine. I still have the body of Sergeant Thomas in my system. I'll call the submarine and let them know what will happen," Alex said. "First thing's first, though."

"Right," Agatha said, as she winced. Dana's eyes widened when she saw Agatha's belly stretch right in front of her. Alex gathered up Agatha carefully. She was going to be bedridden soon, and he didn't want her to walk around too much. He carried her back to the bed chamber that was reached through the meat locker. He was followed by Ragland and Dana. They wanted to see what was going to happen. Setting Agatha on the bed, he moved to the wall to let his viral flesh coat it quickly. The tentacle nursery formed, and a good twenty of the hanging gaps of viral flesh hung down. Each of them could carry up to fifty eggs at a time.

"Amazing!" Ragland said. "Could you make one in the lab? To protect the eggs we'll be working on in there?"

"Sure," Alex nodded. He moved to do that, and Dana sat on the edge of the bed to look at Agatha. The inhuman, pale woman sighed and winced, as her belly grew again.

"Wow. I heard what Alex said about you being a breeding machine, but I didn't believe it!" Dana said. "Are you okay?"

"A bit hungry. Could you grab me a leg, please?" Agatha asked.

"Sure!" Dana said. It was retrieved and hauled back to her. "This thing...is heavy!"

"Really? I didn't notice," Agatha chuckled. She let her hair form into a mass of tentacles and snatch up the large, meaty piece for her. "I don't really lift much, myself, as you can see."

"I read about what they were going to do to you if you managed to kill my brother. I'm glad it didn't work out the way they wanted and it's this way. When are you giving birth?"

"Less than ten hours from now. I think. I'm fairly sure that any drone I birth will see you as family and will protect you. I did have an idea."

"What idea?"

"You could keep some of our strongest drones at your side. Clothe them like children, and they could protect you if you have to go somewhere. Maybe one of each type. I'm sure they would all look different. Since my blood is in you, as well as your hormones in me, they would see you as a part of me," Agatha thought aloud. "We may be able to have a personal escort for you, too."

"I like that idea," Alex said, as he walked back in to rest a hand on her growing belly. "Dana. Robert is ready to head back. I contacted the submarine. It will be here shortly. They are on a 'don't ask, don't tell' order. I think they always were. Go with him and come back safely. Don't waste any time."

"Right," Dana nodded. "We'll see what we can pick up for communication. You shouldn't have destroyed that satellite. We could have used it for that."

"Fuck! You're right. Ah, well. We can hijack another satellite that isn't in use. I'm sure the Commander can find one. Not all sure how I contacted the submarine, but they likely have their own form of communication to keep from getting tracked. All through radio, if that's the case. Anyways, the Commander said he had connections. Maybe he can use one, if he has a favor that can be called in," he said. "Hopefully."

"I'll ask him. Okay, I'll see you guys later!" Dana said, as she jumped up and moved out of the room to find Robert. Now that they were alone, Alex could finally get a touch more intimate with his mate.

"Hera," he whispered, as he kissed her forehead. "I have been thinking..."

"Yes, Zeus?" she asked.

"This place is going to get rather crowded. We will need to find a way to transport a good portion of our drones to land. Either that, or teach them how to swim."

"I'm sure Ragland can introduce a strain of fish DNA into them. Maybe they can grow gills? Maybe wings? Attack from air, land, and sea?" she smiled.

"We can try that," he grinned. "Attack from all areas. Maybe have a few of them be able to dig and tunnel their way into the enemy lines?"

"That sounds like fun!" she giggled and winced, as her belly stretched even more. "Zeus, you notice that I always seem to make far more eggs than before?"

"I have. And I noticed that each egg seems a bit more...developed? As though made stronger each time. As though each time I fuck you, they progress that much more. I like it!"

"I'm sure you do, but you don't have to birth them!"

"True. But it's fun all the same."

"Maybe," she sighed. "I'm hungry again."

"I'll grab you something," he said and moved swiftly to reappear at her side with a large forearm. Watching her tear into it, he pressed a hand to her belly again. Then he looked up to find a speechless Commander staring at her growing womb, and he snarled out with irritation, "What do you want?!"

"Oh! Well...the submarine will be here shortly. I'm going to head to my house first to gather what I needed. Then I was going to do some phone calls to those that need to hear from me. After that, I was going to take Dana shopping and see about getting some cattle sent down here. I'll likely return with her and the cattle. A form of communication will be seen to as well. Dana told me that we could use a dormant satellite, and I think I know of one we can use. It will be tricky to get it, though. I'll have to convince a man I know for the codes to get it operational. He owes me a couple favors, anyways."

"If you can't, tell me. I'll simply consume him and learn the codes myself," Alex grinned. "It may be easier that way."

"I'd rather not," Robert admitted. "If he goes missing, everyone would be on a man-hunt for him. He's not the President, but he is someone pretty high up on that ladder. I have some good standing with him. I'm sure I can convince him."

"If not, I'll take it from him," Alex growled.

"Of course," Robert said. He looked at Agatha again, and he nodded to her. "I'll be back as quickly as I can."

"You have less than ten hours before I go into labor. Then I'll be free for you," she said.

"I'll leave now. I believe the submarine is here," Robert said. When he left, Alex relaxed and muttered to himself.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I'll have drones with him every time he goes out from this point forward," he said. "I still don't trust him. I'm worried for Dana's safety with him."

"He'll be fine. Trust me in this, at least. I know," she smiled. She placed her hand over his, and he sighed. He knew she was right. He watched her finish eating, and he took the bones from her to place in a trash receptacle. On returning to her side, he found her sleeping. Moving to rest his hands on her belly to monitor her as he always had, he let time slip by unnoticed.


	8. Chapter 8

On the surface, Dana and Robert had managed to make it to his house safely. She helped him grab anything he would need for staying in one place for several months. The house would be kept up by the maid that came in once a week. The woman kept up his home for a year when he was stationed overseas at one point. The older woman was trustworthy.

"If I end up staying longer, I may just sell the house," Robert sighed, as he fixed up a small lunch. "Only problem is that, if I sell the house, I'll be questioned as to why."

"Can't you have a few drones, or a couple of your kids stay here?" Dana asked.

"That's not a bad idea," he mused. "But, my house would be used as a breeding area. Wouldn't it? I just...I don't know."

"Well, either we use it, or it gets confiscated and liquidated. That's your choice."

"Ugh," he grimaced. "Just thinking about it hurts. Still, I could say that they're tenants. I've done it before. I'll have to think about it. All right, I need to make a few phone calls. Keep packing up when you're done eating. Hopefully, it won't take that long. If anyone else tries to call or knocks on the door, remember! I'm your uncle!"

"Gotcha!" Dana nodded, and she finished her sandwich. He went up to his small office and realized that he would need to pack up a good portion of the paperwork here. Checking his messages, he grimaced at how many he had to return. For the better part of two hours, he called and spoke with various officials and military officers to explain that he was called away to an emergency meeting, and he apologized for the lack of contact. He further explained that he had to relocate his office to a more stable area, since he believed he was under attack. The story worked. He was never known to lie. He kept his expression on each video conference call grim, stern and honest. He was always known to get right down to business. When he called up the man he needed for the satellite, he relayed his story grimly.

"You were always one to make enemies," the older Commander said.

"Well, you know how that goes, John," Robert chuckled. "Oh, I'm going to need an emergency form of communication. I think you know what I'm talking about, too."

"Oh? Ah! You mean the old junk satellite? As long as it's not used for attacking with, communication should be simple and easy to do. No one would notice it, and they'd think it's a recycled cellular satellite. I could even have the satellite delete its own signal history to throw off anyone that tries to hack into it. How long do you need it for?"

"Not sure. Could be permanent. I'll be on the move quite a bit. At least with a satellite, if I need to be reached, I can be reached. I have some other informants that are on my side that may be using it, too. All classified and the usual bullshit. You know how it goes."

"Right, right," John said, as his dark brown eyes were thoughtful. "Well, Robert, I guess I can see about getting that old broad fired up for you. I do owe you that favor when you saved my ass at the Pentagon."

"I'm just glad I found your speech notes before the press conference. I'm sure a teleprompter speech written by half-asses would have looked excellent on your resume," Robert grinned a touch wolfishly. "You know how badly they like to put their minds into speeches."

"Shut the fuck up, you sly fox!" John grinned back. "All right. It will be operational in the next twenty-four hours. I can send you a set of phones that will work with it. Oh, where will I be sending them?"

"Just send them to the house. If you can send them faster, such as within the next four hours, it would be appreciated. I'm packing up as much as I can to go into hiding. I'd tell you where I was going, but, eh...information tends to leak."

"True. It's just...so sudden. You know? But, shit happens. You've never been wrong before. I'll do what I can to expedite the phones to you."

"If you can send me some back-ups of the phones, it would be appreciated, too. I'll never know when I'll need them. My niece is here with me and can sign off on them. Normally, I don't involve family in this, but, apparently, she's a target, too. She came out to visit me and was caught at the wrong place and time. We are both going into hiding. Just by her being with me made her a target."

"All right. I can do that. Just stay safe. All of this will be over soon enough," John said, as the phone disconnected and the screen went dark.

"I know," Robert said grimly, as he hung up his phone. _No one would ever believe me if I said I was literally going to be sleeping with the enemy._ A few more calls were made and he was done. Heading down the stairs, he told Dana what was going on.

"Awesome!" she said. "So, four phones, an old satellite, and we need to pack up your office. Let's get that done, and we'll see what else we need to do."

"Right," Robert nodded. He had plenty of packing materials in his garage, and they were quickly put to use. His car was large enough to take most of the luggage and paperwork, so he had to look over what he really needed and didn't need. The problem was that he needed everything. The harbor to get to the submarine was a good thirty minute drive away, and he'd waste time making trips.

"Can't you put some stuff on top of the car?" she asked.

"You'd think an SUV would hold enough, huh?" he frowned. "I could call a buddy of mine, but he'll want to know what's going on. I can't have that. Anyways, let's get some shopping done. It'll kill a couple hours, and I can see who to contact about livestock."

"All right. Let's go," Dana said. He drove them to a special market just outside of town, and he had Dana shop for a good supply of food. He did tell her to try to be somewhat thrifty, since it was his credit card she'd be using. He searched for a rancher that he knew of and found the man easily. He told him what he needed. He was in luck. A few good cows and a bull were for sale. It was a hefty price, but he knew it would be needed.

Thanking his own past thinking for having built up a good savings account in an account that wasn't military based for tracking, a quick trip to the bank got him the cash he needed to pay for the livestock. Having them shipped with the food to the harbor, he stopped by a clothing store next. Various bolts of fabric and sewing kits were purchased now, and he had them sent to the harbor labeled for military use. He gave them the address to the dockside they would need to be at, and they promised the purchases would be there within the next two hours. After that, he drove back with Dana. As they were about to load up, he thought over everything he still may need to get. He forgot about one major important stop.

"Shit!" he growled out.

"What?" she asked.

"I still have to go to my office at the base and look over what I'll need there!"

"Really?"

"Yes. I can't have you come with me, either. Strictly personnel and such. Fuck! All right, just stay here, let me head to the base and get what I need. I'll call you from my office, if I can. Shouldn't be more than a couple hours or less."

"You're sure?"

"I have to. No choice in the matter."

"All right. I kinda hate being alone in an unknown place, so do hurry."

"I will," he nodded. Getting in the car, he started it and drove off quickly. He had a sense of urgency now. The longer he was away from Agatha, the more he craved to be around her. If he was held up, he was going to be livid. Luckily, traffic was smooth around this time of day. He made it to the base, got into his office, and managed to gather the few things he crucially needed. There were quite a few people there, but he wondered why he wasn't noticed. _I'll figure it out later._ He pushed the curious question from his mind to remind himself of why he was there. He fired up his computer, sent various files out to his home computer, and called Dana to have her copy the files to a USB drive.

Grabbing a box, a few of his wall hangings were taken down to keep from being confiscated, and several important files were added to the box. Something made him check for any form of bugs or tracking devices, and he found none. Looking over the items he pulled to make sure he had everything he could possibly need, he started to make his way out. Just as he was about to make it to his car, he noticed a group of soldiers coming towards him.

Swearing softly, he moved against the wall. They passed right by him without noticing, and he blinked. _They didn't see me?!_ Then he looked down at himself and went speechless. He was camouflaged to look like his surroundings. _Agatha's blood saved me from being spotted. That was why no one saw me in the office building, too! I was instinctively camouflaging myself!_ Even his clothes were affected, and that had him gaping with shock.

Pushing aside the sudden shock, he had to get back to his house. Placing his office supplies in the back of the car, he quickly jumped into the driver's seat and took off. On getting back to the house, he sensed that something felt off. He blinked at the sight of an odd-looking police car parked in front of the house. _Solid black and sleek for a police car?_ Getting out, he found Dana being interrogated by a policeman at the front door.

"I don't know anything!" she said.

"Is there a problem? Did my niece burn something down already while I was out?" Robert asked casually, as he walked over.

"Oh! She's your...niece?" the officer asked. Heavy sunglasses and a large police hat hid his features. Robert didn't like that at all.

"I swear, Uncle Rob! I was cleaning, and I heard a knock on the door, and this officer was there! He was going to arrest me, saying I was breaking in!" she said.

"I'm doing a bit of relocating for a while, and she was sent over to help. I already called everyone to inform them. Everything's fine," Robert said.

"Relocating?" the officer asked.

"Please, it's a long story, and I don't have much time. It's to an undisclosed location. Completely classified and top secret military work. My niece is part of it. I'm wasting valuable time by talking to you. Please leave now," Robert said with a hint of an edge in his voice.

"All right," the officer nodded. Just as the cop car left, Robert looked at Dana.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Just like I said! He just...showed up!" she frowned. He paused, as he looked around his house with a narrowed gaze. It felt as though something pulsed in his head, and he blinked when he saw something shiny in his lamp. Now he swore violently. The odd pulsing he experienced came from the signals the little bug was sending out.

"They fucking rigged my house! We have to leave! Now!" he snapped.

"Who did?!" Dana freaked.

"Probably someone I called. They likely came in while we were out shopping. Fuck! Do you remember what his car looked like?!"

"Um...it was sleek, black, and I didn't really see any lights on it, to tell the truth."

"That wasn't a real cop out there! He was trying to get more information on us. Good thing my talk about enemies was true. I bet the maid is one of them now, but her life could also be in danger. Fuck it," he growled. "You're going to be cramped in the car."

"It's fine, I'll deal with it! What about the phones?"

"Fuck them. I'll contact John at the base. Let's go!" he said. As he was walking out, a package arrived for him. John had found a way to send the phones as quickly as possible. He opened the box and found a note that simply said that he owed him.

"The phones!" Dana grinned.

"Yes. And I think I already paid John back by saving his life!" Robert smirked, as he knew what Alex wanted to do. "Let's get moving."

"Do you think your car is bugged, too?" she asked.

"It's possible. No talking," he said, and she nodded. He did a quick check on the outside of the car, and he didn't sense any bombs attached to it. As to how he knew, he judged it was from Agatha's blood. _Her blood was saving my life on so many levels now!_ He had Dana get on the floor of the car, and he was forced to pile boxes over her. It was the only way to get everything to fit. Once he got to the harbor, he nodded to the waiting Captain and was surprised to see Alex there in the guise of Sergeant Thomas.

"We have to hurry. She's due for labor soon," Alex hissed in the Sergeant's voice. "You have everything here?"

"That and then some," Robert nodded. He told him how Agatha's blood helped him and what happened at the house. Alex was shocked. Then he showed him the phones, and Alex nodded. Alex had to admit that the man was starting to prove himself, but it was only because he promised not to betray Agatha. When Dana was uncovered, she stretched and helped move everything into the submarine. When the livestock and food were present, the submarine crew paused, but they didn't ask any questions. They had delivered livestock before. The parcels of clothing, sewing supplies, and bolts of cloth were delivered next and moved into the submarine. Robert checked for any tracking devices and found none. Once they were submerged, Alex and Robert moved to a secured room to talk.

"You should destroy the car," Alex muttered. "Especially if it might be bugged."

"Nah. I'll leave it here. If they want it, they can have it. Same with the house," Robert said. "If the house is still here, Dana had a good idea on letting me 'rent' the house out to my kids and the drones as tenants. What do you think?"

"It would become a breeding ground," Alex grinned.

"I know, but what the fuck would I care if people are trying to spy on me? At least this way, the place would be monitored by us, and I'm sure the bugs would be found and destroyed as well as any idiot that got too close."

"Most likely," Alex agreed. "Oh, good. We're docking now."

"Good," Robert nodded. Dana was starting to haul everything out of the submarine, and the other crew members helped. Once all of Robert's belongings, the cloth, livestock, and food stuffs were off the submarine, it submerged and was gone.

"We found a good office and bedroom for you. But, we'll worry about that later. Agatha is about to go into labor, and I have to help her," Alex said, as he returned to his normal form and sped off to where his mate was.

"Right," Robert sighed and moved after him. Dana was about to follow, but Ragland was there to help her move the livestock and belongings to where they had to go. The doctor was told not to let her near Agatha during her labors. Alex didn't know how she would react to another female in the room and didn't want to chance it.

"I'm here..." Alex soothed, as Agatha gasped with pain. Robert paused to stare at the size of her belly. _It was easily three times the size of a normal pregnant woman's!_

"Good! They're...coming..." she whispered. He moved between her legs to show he was ready, and he quickly started to move eggs from her to the waiting nursery tentacles. Robert didn't know what he could do, so he moved back out to where his belongings were to start moving them around and to help with the animals. Thirty minutes later, Alex approached him.

"Go to her. She's weak, so be careful," Alex cautioned him.

"So soon? After her labors?" Robert frowned.

"I know. But, that's how her body works. Now go, before I take your place!"

"Fine," Robert said. He moved to her bedroom now. He paused, as he watched her body regenerate and heal back to the flawless form she was when he first saw her. Then he glanced at one of the new eggs locked in a tentacle. He stared with curious fascination, as the embryo within it moved. Looking back at her, he noticed that she was watching him now, and he made his way to her side.

"How did everything go?" she asked.

"Very well, actually," he said, as he took off his coat to set aside. As he undressed, he told her what happened. She was pleasantly surprised that her blood helped him so much. She was a touch shocked that he was being watched in his own home.

"They spied on you?! Why?" she asked, as she sat up.

"I don't know," he said and sat on the bed. He paused as her hand moved to rub his back gently, and he turned now to gaze at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Do you have any idea how bad I want you right now?"

"I do have an idea. Now get over here and show me!" she growled.

"You just...you just birthed eggs! And now you want me to..."

"I'm waiting..."

"What am I doing?" he shivered.

"You are fulfilling what you've been dying to do for several long days now. Why are you fighting it? Is it because I'm not pretty enough? I'm not attractive to you?"

"That's not it!" he growled. "You're gorgeous! Beautiful! I shouldn't even think about fucking you, but I am!"

"Then don't think about it. Just do it," she whispered to him. With a cry catching in his throat, he lost all of his resolve. He moved over her now and thrust hard into her. She cried out as he did, and he came in her almost instantly. He found himself releasing over and over inside her. He simply couldn't stop if he tried. She was clinging to him now, and he was clinging back.

"Why...can't I stop...?" he gasped, as he found himself moving again in her to release.

"Alex...does this all the time...you know..." she gasped out, as she arched herself. "He just goes...constantly like this..."

"I'm only human!" he said, and he cried out sharply at another release.

"Not...with my blood in you..." she managed to pant out and that made him gape. _Her blood was doing this to me? First the camouflage, and now the constant sex?_ He didn't know whether to be happy or pissed off. He couldn't think about it, as another orgasm hit him. He always knew he wanted to be with her, but this was at another level completely.

"How long...does it last?" he gasped out between orgasms.

"With...Alex...about an...hour...or so..." she whispered.

"Fuck me..." he groaned.

"I'm doing that now!" she grinned. He found himself smiling before another wave of pleasure hit him. Finally, he just let go of his will and let his body take over to do what it wanted. He would regret it later. He felt so worn out and exhausted by the time he was finally able to roll off her to rest at her side, that all he could do was lay there to catch his breath. Normally, once or twice was all he could do. He lost count after ten.

He couldn't think of anything right now. He just needed to regain himself. His body was aching all over as though he just got through one of the roughest terrain body tests of his life. She was laying back in the bed and running her hand over his short hair. For some reason, he felt oddly content now. He ran a hand over her belly and paused. He felt movement.

"Are you shitting me?!" he gaped.

"Nope," she sighed. "This is what always happens. I just don't know how many I have now. We'll have to see."

"I guess we will, eh?" he frowned. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really, but it could change. With Alex, I'm normally famished. But...hmm. Okay, I'm hungry now," she blinked. Robert managed to get up to dress, and he found Alex placing severed cow parts in the meat locker.

"She's hungry. Should we try to feed her both infected and beef meat?" Robert asked.

"Why not?" Alex mused. He grabbed a haunch of Hunter flesh and took it to her.

"Ew!" she hissed and was repulsed by it. "That smells...nasty!"

"Looks like you were right, Commander," Alex grinned and moved to swap out the meat with a large hunk of cow leg. Bringing it to her, she snatched it and tore into it. She wanted more, and another chunk of cow meat was given. After four large chunks, she fell back on the bed to slip into a deep sleep.

"Wow," Robert said.

"I'll monitor her. You should get the phones working, as well as your office. Maybe find out who tried to spy on you," Alex said.

"Right," he nodded. "I still don't like you."

"Ditto," Alex smirked. When Robert left, Alex moved to her side to sit on the bed.

"Zeus?" she whispered, as she blinked awake.

"Hera. I thought you were sleeping."

"I was, but I suddenly woke up."

"Why?"

"I feel..." she blinked, rolled over the side of the bed and vomited.

"Shit!" he hissed. When she held up her hand to show she was fine, he settled back down and looked at what she threw up.

"Most...human pregnancies...tend to have sickness at first," she frowned. "Right?"

"But, you're supposed to be forming eggs. Aren't you?" he thought and called for Ragland. When the doctor approached, Alex told him what happened.

"Let's take a look at the bile," Ragland said first. He collected a sample of it before getting some cleaning supplies to scrub it up to keep her room clean. Then he analyzed the sample in his laboratory.

"Anything?" Alex asked, as he appeared next to him.

"It's just bile. No beef flesh or anything else. She didn't even throw up what she just ate, did she? I could do an ultrasound on her to find out more, if you like."

"If we can, then let's do it," Alex nodded. He moved into the bedroom to let her know what was going to happen, and he picked her up carefully. Placing a sheet around her in such a way to wrap around her chest and hips to leave her belly revealed, he carried her out of the room. Moving her into the doctor's new work station, he set her on a table. Ragland smeared the clear jelly over her womb and pressed the scanner to it. What they saw on the screen surprised them.

"Interesting! Let's see," Ragland said, as he counted the egg-like embryos. "Ten of them. None of them appear to be connected to the womb. She may have gotten sick to stimulate the pregnancy growth."

"Only ten?" Alex frowned.

"Think about it," Ragland said. "Drones are sexless and can be produced in mass numbers. Breeding pairs would need to be harder to find. Rarer in numbers. I have a feeling that these ten are exactly five sets of breeding pairs."

"Brother and sister can reproduce. Hmm," Alex mused.

"I think...they have already bonded with which one belongs to which," Agatha said. "Look at how the sets are so close together!"

"You're right!" Ragland said. Calling Robert over to see what he created with her, the Commander stared at the screen in shock.

"I can't believe it..." Robert blinked.

"Believe it!" Alex grinned. "And they're still growing. I have this odd feeling that they can make the drones, too, but only Agatha and you can make the breeding pairs. You'll be fucking her a lot. Just so you know."

"I should feel...happy?" Robert asked with a frown.

"We'll have to see how much they grow in her," Ragland said. "If they are to be rarer, it could take a bit longer for them to form in her."

"Possibly," Alex nodded. "All right, I'm going to take her back to bed. We need to secure a very special area for the breeders. Harder to find and the like."

"My section of the base. Put them in there," Robert said. "I won't let anything get past me to get to them. There's a room much like her freezer room and bedroom area that I've been taking over for myself. We can put those eggs in the room behind my bedroom office. That room is empty and only accessible through my room."

"Sounds good," Alex nodded. "I will be setting up my own defenses, as well. Let's go look at it after I set her back in bed."

"I'll wait there," Robert said. He was now fiercely protective of his future line, viruses or not. They were mine and hers. He shouldn't be thinking of things like that, but he was all the same. They were my children. Mine. And that was his only main thought now. When he reached his bedroom, he went into the back door of the room to find the other room hidden there. It was much smaller, but would suit his needs perfectly. He was going to store paperwork there, but he had a much more important reason for it now.

"It's perfect," Alex mused, as he silently walked in. "We could hide the door under a layer of my tissues as a defensive measure. Only two incubator tentacles would be needed for now. If we need more, I'll make more. Let me get the room prepared."

"Fine," Robert said, as he moved into his bedroom to start emptying out boxes. He was halfway finished when Alex walked out of the back of the bedroom. Now he moved and let his viral flesh cover over the door to obscure it. The door would instinctively open and close for only them. No one else would be able to gain access to the room. As much as Robert would have felt creeped out by it, he felt an odd sense of acceptance at the same time.

When he got the phones working, he checked on the video satellite uplink to his room. When that was working, he contacted John. Alex assumed the form of Sergeant Thomas in case he was seen in the background.

"John," Robert said lightly.

"Robert! You got the phones working?" John asked.

"I did. My house was bugged, John."

"What?! You're fucking with me!"

"Nope. My niece was helping me move stuff out, and a fake cop even showed up on my doorstep ready to take her away from me."

"Aw, shit..."

"Tell me about it."

"I'll see what I can find out. I'll contact you the moment I can."

"Careful, John. I only know that it was someone I contacted recently. I went shopping with my niece and came home to that crap. I had to take a quick trip to my office, too."

"I wish I knew where you were so I could send you reinforcements."

"It's safer that even you don't know. Trust me on this, at least," Robert said bluntly.

"All right. If you need cash, call me. I'll do what I can."

"Thanks, John. I'll email you a list of the people I contacted within the next ten minutes," he said and disconnected the call. The email was prepared and sent out swiftly.

"I see why you didn't want me to kill him," Alex said, as he assumed his normal form. "He could be useful later. Oh, I found out something about this Sergeant Thomas."

"What did you find out?"

"He was kicked out of the military for a form of fraud," Alex grinned.

"What?"

"Apparently, he made false reports to cover someone's ass. Your ass, actually. You recall an issue about a lawsuit that several recruits said that you 'manhandled them' by slapping them around a little too much?"

"I did no such thing!" Robert growled.

"I figured you didn't. Sergeant Thomas knew you didn't, either. So, he made a false report to take the sting off you. He let himself get the brunt of the punishment. They simply moved him to help a group of scientists. The group I killed here. That...was four years ago before this base was built in secret."

"That's why he came to me directly," Robert blinked with understanding. "He felt I owed him. Didn't he?"

"Well, 'owed' is a loosely connected term when it comes to him. He was 'demanding' a form of repayment. You gave him that plus some. You should be happy," Alex grinned.

"Fuck you," Robert said before he cracked a grin. Alex smirked and went to check on Agatha. When he left the room, the Commander continued to work on organizing his new home.


	9. Chapter 9

Alex found her resting in a rather disturbing position. She was curled up into a small ball as though she was in pain. He didn't like that one bit.

"Hera," he whispered, and he moved a lock of hair away from her face.

"Huh?" she blinked and yawned, as she looked up at him. She reached up for him and pulled him down to kiss deeply. He moved a hand over her belly and frowned.

"They grow slowly," he said.

"I know. Likely twice as long as drones do."

"Why were you curled up like that?"

"Oh? It felt comfortable."

"You never did that before," he frowned. "Are you hungry?"

"Hmm? Sort of," she shrugged. He got up, brought her a small bit of meat and sat on the bed by her to watch her eat.

"Feel better?"

"It could use a bit of cooking," she sighed. "Surely you can think of something?"

"Well, I have consumed a number of chefs. I'm sure I could cook up something. But, I have only one thing to ask you."

"What?"

"How do you want it cooked?"

"Surprise me," she giggled. He looked at her oddly. "What?"

"You being pregnant with human seed makes you...different. I don't like it."

"Ah. Well, how's this," she said with a smile. "Shut the fuck up and make me something before I get pissed off."

"Now you sound better!" he grinned, and she kissed him. She watched him leave, and she felt oddly alone for some reason. She winced a bit when her belly started to stretch, but it was a slow stretch. It wasn't fast like it was with the drones. Glancing up, she saw Robert walk in and he sat by her to run a hand over her belly.

"Feeling all right?" Robert asked.

"So far so good," she shrugged. "How about you?"

"The same. More or less, anyways. I'm still in shock at the sudden outbreak of fatherhood, though. A room is secured for them right behind my room. Just as your room is hidden by the meat locker, my bedroom will hide the children."

"That makes me feel relieved," she smiled. "I'm getting bored, though."

"Are you? Hmm. I'll have to think of something you can do to pass the time. I don't think we have any books here. We do have a lot of cloth, thanks to my shopping adventures with Dana. Think you're up to making yourself a couple outfits?"

"I have enough downloaded training for emergency cloth repair. We can see what we can make," she nodded. He rubbed her belly again before getting up and fetching the bolts of various fabrics. Bringing them back to her, she managed to sit up and they started sorting through them. Dana found them and offered to help out.

"So, what exactly do you need?" Dana asked.

"Something to cover my chest and hips, really. Maybe a criss-cross toga type thing, I think," she mused, as she mulled the thought over. _It would be suitable considering my secret name._ "I just need something to cover me enough to keep me from exposing myself."

"Skirt and top?" Dana suggested.

"That could work, too," she smiled.

"We'll just make you a set of matching bra and panties. Done!" Robert chuckled.

"I think not," Agatha smirked. She looked up, as Alex walked in with a plate of something that resembled an exquisitely cooked steak. She set the cloth down and took the plate eagerly. He didn't bring her any form of flatware, and that was fine by her.

"That looks awesome!" Dana gaped.

"I will only cook for her," Alex grinned. "You'll have to make do with burned oatmeal."

"Oh, come on, Alex!" Dana pouted. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be having kids with her! Please? You owe me!"

"Fine. Just once," he muttered. "To even the odds with you."

"Yes!" she grinned. Agatha chuckled, as she tore the steak to pieces. It completely satisfied her hunger for now, and she told him so.

"Good. When you're getting hungry again, tell me. We could save on meat this way," Alex said, as he sat by her. A small glare at Robert was given, but the Commander ignored him. Robert was still sorting bolts of cloth. He didn't realize how many of them he purchased.

"What's that?!" Agatha said, as she saw something tiny and metallic fall out of an unrolled bolt of red velvet. Robert blinked and picked it up. It was a signal transmitter made for tracking, but it was fried. Likely by the static build up from the cloth.

"Fuck me!" Robert hissed, as he studied it. "Someone did try to track me down! I didn't detect it, because it killed itself!"

"What?!" Alex hissed.

"You can detect them?" Agatha asked.

"Your blood allows me to sense them. It's almost as though I was able to pinpoint the one in my home with every signal sent out. I just knew where to find it. Dana, do you have any weird powers now, because of her blood?" Robert asked.

"Nope. I feel the same. Did something happen to you while you were here?" Dana asked. "You were here before to meet Agatha first. Right?"

"Yeah, I was here. I remember they had to take a blood sample from me to ensure it was me, but that was it. That happened after Agatha was deployed to the island. Wait...I remember now," Robert frowned. "Right before I left, I was given a shot of something. They said it was a vaccine of some kind. For the flu going around. I didn't feel anything or think anything of it."

"Go to Ragland. Give Dana the bug to play with, and you get checked out!" Alex hissed. "I really hope that Agatha's prized stud male isn't tainted..."

"My blood cured him. If anything, it made him...better!" Agatha grinned. "And I'm still giving birth to breeders. I'm sure of it. Maybe they'll be just as enhanced as he is!"

"I'm just worried about the safety of my health at the moment," Robert grimaced. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Dana, go find out what you can about the bug," Alex said.

"I'm on it!" she said, as she jumped up and ran out. The moment they were alone, Alex kissed Agatha fiercely and pressed a hand to her belly.

"They grew," he said.

"Yes," she whispered, and her mouth moved close to his. He kissed her again and hugged her tightly to him now. The last time he remembered feeling this way was with a woman from his past, and she had betrayed him. _Not my Agatha. She would never betray me._

"You'll always be at my side," he said.

"Always," she murmured, as his mouth claimed hers. After the kiss, she whispered, "I would never want to leave your side."

"To think that, just earlier this week, we were ready to kill each other," he grinned.

"They always say that opposites attract," she chuckled. He looked down at her belly as it swelled more, and he smiled. Then he thought.

"I wonder," he mused. "if Ragland can take human sperm and merge my DNA into it. Knock out the need for a stud male completely."

"It's possible. But, I am fond of Robert. He is a very protective one. And he has connections that we need."

"I know. I just don't like him getting the feelings he has for you now. It's only obvious. But, they do say that human emotions can always be the true weakness to any man or woman. It's proven true, so far. As long as he knows that you're truly mine, and he does as he's told, then I have no qualms with him. For now."

"Yes. For now," she agreed, and he kissed her with a longing that she responded to instantly. When he looked at her, it was with a look that showed only one thing. _He loved me._ He didn't have to say it. There was no need to. She gave him the same look back, and he shifted his body over hers. Looking at the door, he formed his whip arm to reach over and slam it shut.

"I know you're pregnant already," he growled. "I don't think I can do anything right now, anyways. Still..."

"Don't make me wait," she whispered, and he helped her shrug off the blanket that covered her. She moved it over them both, as his form molded to hers. She gave a soft whimper, as he filled her. His body partially formed so he could kiss her now. The next ten minutes were spent this way. It would have been longer, but a knock was heard and Alex hissed.

"It's just me!" Ragland said loudly. "Your drone is moving and appears to be ready to hatch! If you want to see it, now is the time!"

"Fuck!" Alex hissed. "What perfect timing!"

"We'll be...right out!" she said, as she gasped against Alex's form. He found a stopping point, somehow, and managed to help cover her with the bed sheet again. Helping her stand, she walked with him to Ragland's office to look at the giant egg. _The child within was clearly the resemblance of a young man now._ She judged it was like that, since the hammer arm attack it had was so devastating. She looked at the other egg and noticed that it was now evolving swiftly. Since it would hold Alex's power of the whip, it was developing to be almost feminine in form and very slender. Looking back to the egg, as it rocked in the tentacle, the shell of the egg seemed to mold to the skin to form a bit of protective armor for additional defense.

Within seconds, it jumped out of the mucus-like encasing and stood up tall. Its body grew even further to resemble a tall, powerful man with short, black hair, but lacked all the male features it would need to be classified as a true male. The hammers it bore reverted to hands, and it looked at Agatha and Alex with a form of knowing with solid black eyes. It recognized them as its creators. Then Alex blinked with surprise.

"I can hear its thoughts. As though...it's a hive collective. Mainly instinctive, as Ragland suggested. Now...oh..." he grinned. "I can sense the others on the island now! They...want to meet me. Some are stronger than others and are rather demanding to be here. Interesting..."

"Use the cryo tube?" Ragland asked.

"Going to have to. A shame there isn't another. Wait! There is! But, it can be tracked. It's not safe to use," Alex frowned. "I could possibly fix it so that it can be used later."

"Why can't I hear our children?" she frowned.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "It could be that you may be able to hear the breeders to where I can hear the drones. It's possible at this point. But, I need to go to the ones on the island and bring our strongest fighters here to protect you. Oh...something interesting!"

"What?" Agatha asked ,as he squeezed her close.

"Apparently," he grinned wickedly. "They have my ability to consume and clone themselves as others. But, it's a one-time use. And, I can gain the memories of those they consume. Now this is useful..."

"I think I have an idea," Agatha grinned.

"What?" he grinned back.

"We can have some of our drones take over the submarine crew and the Captain of it. They can do what they need to in the submarine and drive it around as we need it. You gain the memories of the Captain to know how to use the submarine, if needed," she smiled wickedly. "We can transport our drones easily that way and won't have to worry about betrayal."

"I love how you think!" he laughed and kissed her soundly. Looking at the new drone in front of them, he thought. "How strong are you compared to the others?"

"You found me. You know," the drone replied hoarsely. Alex thought about that and grinned. _I'll be able to detect the strongest of the drones and bring them back._

"I may have to leave some strong ones there to create small teams to help attack. Like generals or officers. Not only are they the strongest, but the smartest. And...able to control small groups of lesser drones. Interesting..." Alex smirked. "Apparently, you are the strongest of your type right now, from what I can sense. You will be the Captain of the submarine."

"Yes. I will do that," the drone nodded.

"I'm going to go to the island, and various drones will come here. Stay here and stay safe," Alex said, and kissed Agatha passionately. The drone moved now to stand in front of its mother protectively. It saw her as its Queen now.

"May I take some skin samples from you? To see if I can make you stronger?" Ragland asked the drone. At Agatha's nod, the drone nodded. Small skin samples and blood samples were taken quickly. When Dana came into the lab ten minutes later, she dropped her jaw at the drone that was there. Robert was no better. The drone looked like a beefed up man now that its skin fully adhered with the shell it came out of, but lacked all the male parts. The drone moved, lifted up Agatha easily, and carried her back to her bed chambers.

Once she was in the bed, it moved to block the door with its muscular frame. The frigid air of the meat locker didn't even bother it at all. The drones were virtually weather resistant to anything they may have to travel in.

"Can I see her?" Robert asked. "She's bearing my children. Eh...young."

"You made the breeders? Go in," the drone nodded and let him squeeze by. It also scented Agatha's scent on him and made Robert's scent a permanent part of the hive's collective database. When Dana appeared, it smelled Agatha's scent on her, as well as Alex's. Recognizing her permanently as another form of ally, it let her squeeze by. The doctor was also added, since Agatha's blood was injected in him, too.

"We should make clothes for him. Ah, it," Robert said, as he glanced at the drone.

"True. Shall we do that?" Agatha smiled.

"We'll need to make a whole range of clothing!" Dana sighed. Agatha only smiled again, and they all got to work on making new outfits. An hour had passed, and a few outfits were made for her. The drone stated that Alex reached the island safely and was now looking for the other drones to bring back. Agatha thought and called the drone over to get its measurements so it could get some clothing on it. They agreed that all of the drones would likely be the same in build and height. The breeders may be different, though.

"I should give you a name. If you are going to be my personal guard, it would be needed," she thought. The drone simply shrugged. It would agree with whatever she wanted.

"Probably a name that could go for a girl or a boy, right?" Dana asked. "Like Robin?"

"I think Robin can work," Agatha smiled. "It is a name not normally used."

"As long as no one is named Batman, we should be fine," Robert grinned.

"Ugh!" Agatha frowned and shook her head. He laughed a bit at her and brought more rolls of cloth over to her.

"Oh, Dana, did you find out anything about that bug?" Robert asked.

"I didn't, really. Most of the serial numbers were burned off when it fried. I can only make out that it was Japanese made from the last two characters that were still left," Dana frowned. That made Robert uncomfortable. If Foreign affairs was involved, they could be in trouble if they weren't careful, and he voiced it.

"My Liege says that we can avoid them. We just take them out. Before they take us out," Robin said. Agatha blinked and then realized something. _We didn't have to use the phones!_ She seemed to giggle at the thought.

"Robin, tell Alex that I got your information. We shall use the phones as emergency back up only," Agatha grinned. This made Robert gape at the realization, and it would be safer this way. _Who would be able to hack into a virus to listen in?_ Then he frowned, as he thought of something crucial that needed to be addressed.

"Robin, ask Alex if it's possible to cut you off from the hive as an emergency measure in case one of you got caught. Temporarily right now for about five seconds. I want to see if it can be done," Robert suddenly asked. Robin nodded and thought. Then it seemed to hiss with pain, and it fell to its knees. After the hive link was reestablished, it stood up and shivered.

"Robin!" Agatha frowned.

"It hurts...to be cut off...from My Liege...and the others..." Robin grimaced.

"But, it is possible. It could result in your death if cut off for too long. At least, if Alex cuts you off. He was frozen, but you were still in contact with the hive mind and you were fine," Robert said. "Makes sense now. But, I worry for our children. The breeders."

"Well..." Agatha thought, as she ran a hand over her belly as it stretched. "I think they would be okay. As breeders, you would think they would also have a way to 'control' their own broods, right? Still be able to relay information to us, but be their own form of Commanders in our army? Higher than Generals? Maybe Captains or Admirals?"

"Now that you put it that way, it's a possibility," Robert thought aloud. "We won't know for sure until they grow and hatch."

"But, you agree that it may be possible?" Agatha smiled. Robin was silently relaying everything to Alex, and he was in complete agreement. Then the announcement was given that the first of five drones was sent in the cryo tube. She smiled and eagerly awaited the arrival of her latest child. Time was spent by making new outfits, and she looked up to find a slender drone with feminine features walk in. This one was the same in the egg at bearing the whip-like hand. It was fast, sleek and extremely accurate. For its features, it had a set of rather pretty, solid black eyes, long, black hair, and lacked all the usual parts that a female would have. It almost looked Oriental, but that was just the facial features and body structure.

"My Queen," the drone whispered and bowed to Agatha. Even the voice it held appeared to be feminine. Agatha found the perfect name for this drone.

"Your name will be Kim," Agatha said. Kim bowed again and moved to stand along a wall of the room. Both siblings looked at each other with a knowing glance. They were the strongest of their distinguished classes so far. Robert started to feel oddly protected now. About an hour later, another drone came in, and Agatha looked up with a smile.

This one appeared to be a slender male, but well built in the arms for the blade it held. It had spiked, black hair and black eyes. It was quick, accurate, and exceptionally deadly at the jump attacks it could do. As it moved forward to bow in front of her, she gave a pleasing smile.

"My Queen," it bowed deeply to her in a noble way.

"Your name is Aden," she smiled. At a soft nod, it looked at the other two drones with the same knowing glance they gave each other before. Then it moved to settle along another wall. Dana now held up several full outfits and had them dress in them. Looking a bit more human now, it made her feel less restless.

"Glad I found a bolt of denim," Robert chuckled.

"You're telling me!" Dana sighed. They were each given outfits that wouldn't hinder their attacks. They all had sleeveless shirts for their arms, since it was their arms that had the main attacks. Jeans completed the outfits, and they didn't seem to need shoes, since their feet had more natural padding. They could walk over nails and sharp glass without getting cut.

Another hour of clothing making went by, and a fourth drone walked into the room. This one looked like a somewhat buffed up version of the slender male-like drone with the blade arm, but this one had Alex's claws. Shoulder-length black hair seemed to stick out at various angles like the spikes that adorned the claws, and it glared around savagely with narrowed black eyes. It could jump as fast as the whip drone and hit practically as fast as the blade drone. It was clearly the most lethal of them all.

"My Queen!" it hissed out and bowed to her. Then it moved to stand right at the back of the room where her bed was. A sleeveless shirt and pants set was given to it, and it wore them quickly. Its claws morphed to its arms to don the clothing before letting the claws come back out. It always wanted to show that it was ready to kill.

"Who will protect the breeders when it is their time?" Agatha frowned.

"Stronger ones of us from other clutches. They will escort. When new batches hatch from the breeders, they will replace the escorts. The escorts will come back here to you," the new drone said. "My Liege will be here after the fifth one is sent."

"Very good," Agatha said. "Your name shall be Nick."

It gave a nod and closed its eyes to listen to the hive mind. Another set of outfits were made, and they stopped to take a break. Robert got up to get Agatha some meat, and she ate hungrily. She missed Alex's cooking skills. _He truly did know how to sate my hunger with them._ Looking up at the fifth drone that entered, it appeared to be a slender male, but rock solid with muscle. It had large, black eyes for locating things at a distance, and exceptionally short, black hair. It didn't appear to have any other features, but it showed what it could do by making a coat of armor over itself and forming a shield.

"My Queen," it nodded to her with full recognition.

"Two skills?" she mused.

"Scouting and defense. For the hive," it said. "I am fast. Hard to catch. Infiltration. I am the eyes of the hive behind enemy lines. Because of this, I can consume up to two humans to get my goal done. One for a grunt. Then I lose it for the main prize."

"I see. Impressive," she purred. "Your name shall be Eddie."

"Very well," Eddie said and moved to stand on the other side of the bed that Nick was guarding. Her belly stretched again, and she sighed, as she laid back in the bed now.

"Do you need anything?" Robert asked.

"More food," she frowned. He nodded and got her another chunk of meat. "I could really use this cooked! Ah, well. Better than not eating."

"I'm not one for cooking," Robert shrugged. "I always ate pre-made meals."

"It's fine. I'll make do," she said, as she started to eat again.

"I haven't picked out a room for myself yet," Dana thought and got up to skip out. She smiled as the girl left, and Robert ran a hand over her belly when it grew again.

"I thought they were to grow slowly?" Robert frowned.

"I wouldn't know. This is a first time for me," Agatha frowned.

"My Liege is returning," Nick said.

"Good!" she said, as she winced. Her belly stretched again, and she gasped.

"Are you all right?" Robert asked.

"Just...fast growth," she sighed and panted a bit. "It hurts when I stretch, but I'll be fine. I just need to rest a bit."

Eddie moved over now to judge her size, and the information was relayed to Alex. Then the drone placed its hands on her belly to evaluate the growth.

"My Liege says to try and hold back," Kim said. "He is coming as quickly as he can."

"Hard to do," Agatha gasped at another stretch to her belly.

"My Liege is frozen now. No more thoughts from him," Nick frowned.

"They really are growing faster!" Robert blinked. "Only ten of them in you, too!"

She cried out at another stretch, and she panted as the growing seemed to stop. When she said she was ravenous, more beef was brought to her and she tore into it. When Ragland appeared to talk to her, Robin blocked him momentarily.

"My Queen is in pain. What do you need?" Robin asked.

"Oh! Well, I just want to let her know that the second egg brought in is growing quite fast. The eggs do hatch in waves. Is there anything I can do to help her?" Ragland asked.

"No. She must endure the pain. My Liege is on his way here now. He will help her when he gets here," Robin said. Ragland nodded and went back to his lab. For the next hour, Robert kept feeding Agatha pieces of beef. She truly was ravenous now, and he was amazed at how much she was consuming.

"How is she?!" Alex hissed, as he moved past Robin.

"Her belly stretched a lot while you were out within the past thirty minutes," Robert said. "She's incredibly hungry right now. I've been feeding her."

"Fine. Agatha?" Alex said. She leaned into him now, and he leaned back into her. Looking at Nick, a silent word was given and the drone left the room.

"What is it doing?" Robert asked.

"Going to slaughter another cow," Alex said.

"Shit! Tell it to wait so I can tell it which ones not to touch!" Robert growled and got up to move out quickly. That made Alex smirk, and he got pulled into a kiss by his mate.

"Ragland said the first egg you brought in is growing. The second batch of ours," she said. "They will hatch in waves."

"I know. Then I'll have to go back and evaluate them to see which ones are stronger. Or maybe I don't have to. I seem to know that the ones I brought here are the strongest ones. I will not have our first drone be the Captain on the submarine. It is needed here. Others will do that for us," Alex said. "Maybe from the ones already here."

"I did give them names, you know," she chuckled.

"I don't care for names. You can use them. I don't need to," he grinned. She smiled and hissed at another long stretch of her belly. He watched her carefully with a touch of concern. "You are almost at birthing height. So...slow to start and extremely fast to finish. They develop quickly, but very few in number. Interesting to know. We will have to see how they grow when they leave your body. Are you hungry?"

"Famished!" she snarled out. Robin brought over a massive hunk of cow leg and she tore into it savagely. Alex thought and got up to do some cooking. He remembered how she said it fully sated her hunger. Then he paused and made another meal for his former sister. _I did promise her, after all._

"Here, Dana," Alex said to set the plate with utensils down for her. She gave a jump of joy and tucked into the steak. He went to Agatha and gave her the cooked steak, as he discarded the cleaned cow leg bone.

"Mmm..." Agatha sighed. "The way you cook this completely destroys my hunger!"

"I'll make more for you and have them ready. Maybe I can try it out on some of the Hunter meat. Possibly do the same thing," he thought. "I could tell the drones how to cook, too. It would save a lot of time this way. You think?"

"Possibly," she nodded. He took the empty plate from her, and Kim took it from him to take to the kitchen to wash. He actually liked the extra help. _When the other eggs hatched, we'll have even more help._ Then he blinked and remembered the bodies in the tubs that he left in the storage room. _Some of the bodies held high-ranking scientists._ A mental nod was given to Aden to test something. The drone left and confirmed that it could consume dead human flesh to take on the form. _But, it was temporary. A living human would be permanent. Yet, it could help get us get to where we needed to go before the form wore off. They also couldn't glean any memories from a corpse. The host needed to be alive for that to happen._

"Hera," he whispered and told her what he found out. She blinked with surprise at this and chuckled. Leaning into him now, he felt her give all her weight to him. He ran a hand through her hair while she slept. He found himself hating to leave her side. He wanted to get rid of the stud male completely, but if this was the only way breeders could be made, he had no choice. He did want to try having sperm created with his DNA. _It could be tricky, but, if it worked, then I'm all for it._

The drones watched their King and Queen with a form of pride. The island was being cleansed of Hunters and infected humans, but the meat was being stored carefully. They kept two hive buildings intact for the Hunter meat. Much like how one would raise cattle, they were now treated as such. The infected human flesh was not tried yet. They knew that, once the humans were gone, the food source would be completely removed. The cryo tube was sent back and forth for the meat to be sent over. The drones worked carefully to make sure their Queen had all she would need.


	10. Chapter 10

An hour passed by, and Agatha was awoken with sharp pains. Alex moved to help her, and he noticed she was ready to give birth when she gasped out, "Zeus!"

"Get the Commander!" Alex hissed out. Kim moved swiftly to get the man and brought him back. "She's in labor! Make sure your room is open to place the eggs in!"

"All right," Robert nodded and made sure a path was clear. Alex moved a hand over her leg to show he was there, and she panted and clung to the sheets from the pain. She cried out when the first egg came out, and Alex hissed at the size of it. _There was no time to study it right now. That could come later._ Robin moved close to take the precious egg to the breeder room. Each drone helped move the eggs carefully. When the last two eggs were birthed, he had the drones stay in the room so they could study the eggs in full when Agatha recovered.

"Look!" Alex said to her when she could focus again. Kim brought over the egg holding the male breeder, and Nick brought over the egg bearing the female breeder. Robert walked into the room now to study the eggs with them.

The male breeder looked like a young teenage boy with short, blond hair. He was curled up in the egg as though asleep. The female breeder looked like a young teenage girl with extremely long, blond hair in the same position as the boy. Both looked exceptionally beautiful and slightly otherworldly from Agatha's beauty. They each had distinctive facial features, and the same would be noted for the others. They all looked different from each other to keep their real identities hidden.

The eggs were taken to the breeder chamber, and Ragland was there to study them. Robin was keeping a close eye on the doctor, since none of the breeders were to be handled too much. Dana was floored at the eggs and was a touch impressed.

"Alex, a set of them should be in my lab for study!" Ragland said.

"Maybe the next batch. Not these. I will not have these tampered with," Alex said.

"Okay. As long as I get to study the next set of eggs," the doctor said. "Robert, I found out what was done with your blood. There was an extensive file over it."

"Tell me," the Commander said.

"The shot you were given was actually supposed to sterilize you. Agatha's blood reversed it. She was right. It made you more potent," Ragland said.

"What did those fuckers try to do?!" Robert hissed out.

"Oh, geez..." Agatha sighed.

"Well, too bad we can't thank them!" Alex grinned. Robert sighed and shook his head. "Anyways, we need more drones. When she births them, we'll get another batch of breeders done. We'll take turns this way."

"Fine. I'm going to check on my kids," Robert said and left the room feeling irritated at what he just learned. Alex watched him leave, and the doctor left to see what else he could learn from the eggs. Then he turned to look at Agatha and kissed her hard.

"They are beautiful. Aren't they?" she said with a smile.

"Very. Much like their Queen," he smiled. "I want to see if I can get viable sperm made for me. I really want to try making breeders with you."

"And who are you going to get to donate the sperm?" she chuckled.

"The doctor always liked a challenge. I would just have him remove his DNA to replace with mine. It's something to try."

"That would be a lot of work, though."

"True. But, it would be worth it if it does work. Right?" he asked. Nick seemed to nod and moved from the room to ask the doctor about it. As Alex thought, the doctor was intrigued by the idea and would see what he could do.

"Zeus," she whispered and ran a hand over his chest. He grinned and covered over her now to seed her. Right now, their little army was off to a wonderful start. In the breeder room, Robert was staring at his children with silent disbelief.

"Ten of them. Mine and hers. Incredible," he whispered to himself. _They were all beautiful children. All of them were sleeping in their states of growth, and they were still growing._ There was no way that he knew of that would convince him to kill them. _These were my kids._ A parental instinct that he never knew he had was now quite clearly apparent. He didn't know what they would know or how they would learn, but he knew he would teach them everything he could to help them survive.

He knew that Alex was with Agatha right now. He didn't mind for once. He felt a form of relief that he wouldn't have to watch over kids for eighteen years. _She truly did give me something that no other woman could. A family that could sustain itself._ He also knew that he would protect his kids while they were with him. When they left his side, they would be on their own until they came back to him. _I can't be there for them all the time. This confirmed it._ In a way, it worried him a little, but he would teach them whatever he could to protect them.

Moving from the special chamber, he went to his desk to start setting up a training regime for them. He needed to make sure he had everything ready when they hatched. He wasn't sure if they would have his skills or not. _I need to be prepared._ He didn't know if they would be hungry, either. He saw Ragland walk in with a needle, and he got up to stop him.

"I'm not going to hurt them!" Ragland said, as the Commander stood in front of his path.

"Alex said not to touch them!" Robert hissed. "You aren't going to touch these! The next batch will be fine! Not these!"

"I know. I just want to know as much as I can about them to see if there is anything we need to know of off-hand. I was hoping to scan them and get any form of vital readings. If I could collect a blood sample, I could learn a lot more," he said.

"No. Not these kids," Robert said protectively.

"Get away from the breeders if you value your life!" Nick hissed from the doorway with its claws ready to tear into him. Ally or not, its King said they were not to be touched. It had come to check on the eggs and was now adamant on protecting them personally after this. Alex was a bit surprised at the request, but he granted it.

"All right. I'll wait until they hatch," Ragland said, as he gave up. Nick glared at the doctor as he left and nodded to Robert. Then Nick moved to stand in front of the door to the breeder nursery. Robert felt a lot of relief at this. He clearly didn't want the good doctor to tamper with his kids right now. _At least not while they were developing._

"Thanks," Robert said and sighed.

"No problem," Nick nodded. Robert noticed that all of the drones tended to have the same, flat, monotone voice, but it was the ones based on being males that had this trait. Kim sounded more female, but its tone was also flat. It could give them away, if they weren't careful.

"What's the plan when they hatch?" Robert asked.

"We will see how much they know. Then we will see what they can do. After that, they will stay here until the next batch of drones hatch. Drones will be picked to take place of the submarine crew. Escorts will be made when the breeders are ready to leave. My Liege can make special passports here. The computers have direct lines to various data banks in military computers. He knows all of the codes to get them."

"So do I, if I have to," Robert nodded. "We should have some cooked steaks and meats ready for Agatha. Think that can be done?"

"Kim and Aden are working on that now. My Queen and My Liege have worked hard to bring us here. We will do all the work for them now. My Liege wants to know what you are planning on doing now."

"Me? I'm preparing a list of military tests to see how intelligent my kids are going to be. If they know everything I know and everything that Agatha knows, then these tests will prove it. There are exercise simulations here that we can use, too. I'm getting everything prepared. I won't know if they'll be hungry, either. We'll need meals prepped for them, just in case."

"My Liege understands and will have Eddie assist with the tests. I will remain here to guard the breeders, and Robin is guarding our Queen. She is pregnant again."

"Very well," Robert nodded and went back to his charts. A couple hours went by unhindered, and he finally got up to check on Agatha. Nodding to Robin as he made his way in, he saw her growing belly and found her asleep.

"Cooked meat really does wonders to her hunger," Alex mused, as he walked in behind him to sit by the bed. "I'm having Ragland try to make sperm with my DNA. If it works, then you won't have to be used all the time. It will give us a variety of breeders, too."

"You won't...get rid of me. Will you?" Robert asked.

"Now...that's an interesting question," Alex grinned. "But, no. I won't. Agatha clearly likes you and feels you are important. So far, you are doing a wonderful job. Just stick to your oath, and you'll be fine. No need to break off a good worker."

"Right," Robert grimaced. "I'm not sure what else I can do around here."

"Keep an eye on the breeders?"

"Isn't Nick doing that?"

"He's protecting them. Actually...what's Dana up to?"

"Not sure. I'll find out," Robert nodded. Alex watched him leave and started to understand why Agatha liked him. _He was exceptionally loyal and kept to his word._

"Zeus?" Agatha whispered, as she blinked awake.

"Hera," he smiled and kissed her deeply. She wrapped her arms around him, and he lifted her up carefully to pull her into his lap.

"Hard to believe that I'm less than a week old and a mother to over two hundred kids!" she mused, and Alex laughed a bit. "What happens now?"

"We wait for the breeders to wake up. Then we see what we can do for them. After that, we'll have the other drones hatch and escort them to the surface. We'll have them take over the Commander's house first to secure it. It would be the best place to start," he said. "Then we can see what is around them to slowly spread them out. Maybe have them get houses in each city across the United States. Possibly the world. We'll need to amass a lot of money."

"True," she sighed. "Speaking of money, how much funding does this place get? And do we know who is funding the bills? It would be nice to know."

"Hmm. Good question," he thought and felt her belly swell under his hand. He smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to her mouth. Then he muttered, "I'll think about it while I'm fucking you again. I'm sure I can do it."

"Really?" she smiled and kissed him back. Then she saw him pull away, and she looked at him questionably.

"There was one other in my life. A bit long ago," he sighed. "I thought...I could trust her. Instead, she betrayed me."

"Hopefully, you found her and slaughtered her!" she growled.

"Oh, I did. After consuming a number of scientists to get her location. Needless to say...I was incredibly...hurt? By it all. I guess."

"I would never betray you," she said.

"I know you won't," he said and kissed her hard. She responded to him just as much, and he gasped as he hugged her close. Swallowing, he whispered, "Is it possible...for a virus...to love? At first I thought it was impossible. Improbable, too. But..."

"I don't think it's impossible," she whispered back. "I think...we proved it could happen. Don't you?"

"If that Commander tries to pull you away from me..." he snarled out.

"I won't let him. Or give him the chance," she frowned. "I only like him. I love you."

"You do. Don't you?" he said, as he moved over her, despite her growing belly, and he started to take her. She arched back, as he seeded her now. _She belonged to me. Everything else didn't matter right now. This was my Queen. My mate. I'll kill anyone and anything to protect her if I have to._

Robin was standing outside the door with an adamant look of protection. No one was going to get past this drone now. Nick took on an even more protective stance in front of the breeder door. Drones don't need sleep. They were on twenty-four hour alert at all times. Knowing this, they stood vigil and let time slip by unnoticed for the next three hours.


	11. Chapter 11

Alex stayed with Agatha the whole time. He watched her sleep and fed her when she woke up. He mated her when they both needed it. For the first time since he woke up as a viral mutation, he finally felt whole and complete.

"Zeus?" she smiled and ran a hand over his back.

"Hmm?" he gestured.

"How are the breeders?" she asked.

"Hmm..." he thought. "They are ready to hatch. We'll bring them in here quickly."

"Oh!" she blinked. "So soon?!"

"Apparently so," he mused. Robert was following Nick into the room, as the other eggs were brought in and set in the hanging tentacles. The other drones were in the room now, and Ragland walked in.

"They should be in my lab!" he said.

"Not these!" Alex hissed. "They will hatch first, and then we will see what needs to be done! That is the way it works with breeders! As for the drones, fine. They can be in your lab. But, breeders are too few and far between to risk."

Ragland was about to argue his case further, but the first set of breeders rocked in the tentacle and jumped out of the mucus casing. The clear eggshell merged into their skin to give it a glossy look before disappearing. Eyes opened to reveal steel grey and pale blue sets. The boy grew quickly into that of a young man, and the girl grew to that of a young woman. They were already set to breed right away. The young man looked over at his father with Robert's steel greys and bowed.

"Hello, Father. I am ready to go forth and do what I can," he said.

"Oh, my," Agatha smiled. The young woman looked over and smiled softly, as she nodded to her mother. Then Agatha paused with surprise. She heard their thoughts. "I can hear you both! Oh, this is wonderful!"

"So, you can hear them, but I can't. Makes sense, like I thought," Alex nodded.

"I can't hear you," Robert frowned.

"You can't hear us, but we can hear you, Father," his son said. "You can teach us this way, and we will learn everything you know."

"Really? Then there is no need for training expertise!" Robert blinked.

"That's right, Father," his daughter said. "Our brothers and sisters will be waking soon. We understand the plan, Mother. My King, is there something you wish of us?"

"Yes," Alex nodded. "The other drones should be hatching soon. Come to think of it, I find it rather intriguing that it took about four days for the first wave of drones to hatch. Now, it's less than a day. Either way, I'm not going to complain. The tentacles holding them are near the swelling stage. Gather the strongest ones you can together and fashion clothing for yourselves. If you notice stronger versions of what drones are here, you will change them out. The names your mother gave them will be transferred to the new drones when they stay here."

"We will. Also, we cannot consume others to take their shapes right now. It may happen when we reach land. Right now, we feel safe. Like you, My King, we have the ability to consume whoever we wish to take on their forms, and we can have one main style of attack. But, they need to develop in time, and we can choose which attack style we want," the young man said. "We will need to choose attacks that will complement each other."

"Would you like names?" Agatha asked. "You can choose your own, if you like."

"I wish to be called Apollo," he said. That had Alex laughing with the irony.

"I shall be called Aphrodite. I am sure the others will pick their own names," the young woman said. "We shall start making clothes now and test our knowledge."

"I'll go with you to make sure of what you know," Robert said. They both nodded and watched their other brothers and sisters hatch and grow. They all chose various names of the gods, but they also chose more common names to throw off people if they had to. When they had designed and fashioned their clothes, they moved to Ragland's lab to be evaluated and have health checks. Once Ragland had all the information he could possibly need about them, the five breeding pairs settled in various rooms to wait for the drones to hatch and to be mentally taught by Robert. Plans were running smoothly so far.

"Anything you need, Hera?" Alex whispered.

"I could use something to eat," she nodded. Kim brought over a cooked slab of Hunter meat, and she ate it quickly. It sated her hunger as quickly as the cow steaks did, and this relieved him. _It would cut down the meat consumption drastically. We could save more this way, and the cryo tube could be conserved._

"The next thing you eat will be from an infected human," he said.

"Really? Well...hmm. I should try it," she said.

"Aren't you full?"

"In a way, but I can still eat."

"All right. Let's see what happens," Alex nodded. A slab of infected human flesh was brought over, and she sniffed it. Then she pushed it away.

"It doesn't smell right," she frowned.

"We'll save it for later. Something tells me that...if Ragland successfully makes sperm for me, you could manage to eat it. Such as the cow meat with the breeders. Certain meats you just don't want or can't tolerate. It's worth a shot," Alex said.

"Okay," she nodded. The meat was taken away to be frozen and stored for later use. Another slab of Hunter meat was brought over, and she ate it hungrily. After that, she sighed and ran her hands over her growing womb. He moved to lay next to her, and she rested her head against his chest. It didn't take long for her to fall into a deep sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

The rest of the week was busy with her breeding and birthing. The submarine crew was taken over by various drones, and one of the first set of breeders was sent to Robert's home. It was swiftly reclaimed and cleansed out from bugs, spies, and anything else that could interfere with their plans. Spies were consumed and now used against the ones that sent them. It was decided for Alex to ensure that various drones from his clutches with Agatha were there, too, since he couldn't gain any memories from the drones produced by the breeders. It gave him a weak spot, and he didn't like it.

With the submarine constantly going back and forth, they also had to be careful about fuel. It was soon planned to have a set of drones start to slowly take over the fuel station the submarine went to in order to avoid suspicion. Much to their surprise, the original strong drones that Alex brought back were far stronger than the others. They instinctively evolved with each new birth of drones. Alex decided to make them their personal guard, and Agatha was in complete agreement.

As she lay in bed with him, she felt that something was off with her most current breeder pregnancy. It was as though she knew that there was something different that happened. At her mate's look of intense curiosity, she frowned and said, "I feel odd with this set of breeders in me. Something doesn't feel normal. I know what my pregnancies are like with breeders, too."

"Oh?" Alex asked and rested his hand on her belly. "We'll need to do an ultrasound."

"Okay," she nodded. He pressed a kiss to her mouth and kept her hips and chest covered. Taking her to Ragland, he explained what she was feeling.

"Let's find out," Ragland nodded. Various drone eggs were being genetically infused with other forms of DNA and were developing at odd paces. Any that hatched and deemed unfit were killed off swiftly and disposed of. He wanted to experiment on a set of breeders, but Robert was quick to refuse him. They were his kids, and it didn't feel right to him. He didn't want that to happen. He cared for all of his children, despite their fast growth and intelligence.

Only four breeders stayed with them. They wanted only two to stay, but the other two stated it would be best to keep them safe with the others until a suitable place was found. The ones that stayed were, Apollo, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and Athena. The others had left the moment they were ready, and were provided with identification and papers to prove they were American citizens. Ragland was still working on genetic sperm for Alex. It was tested once with Agatha, but there were no results. It was as though the batch was sterilized, and Ragland had to try again.

"It looks like...hmm. There's a single egg here," Ragland said, as he saw the lone egg missing a partner. "That's very odd."

"Only nine eggs?" Agatha asked.

"Yes. That is very odd," Alex admitted.

"What's going on?" Robert asked.

"One of the eggs is missing a partner," Ragland said. "We'll need to find out why when it's birthed out. That's why you felt odd."

"I see," Agatha frowned. "It worries me."

"Hmm..." Alex thought and now wiped the clear gel off of her belly to carry her back to their bedroom. Setting her in the bed, he reclined next to her and held her. He whispered, "Hera. Tell me what's wrong."

"If a breeder is missing, how will it be of use? I mean...if it's a female, would it bond to the doctor? If it's male, would it bond to Dana? And, if you think about it, I had this clutch right after you tested that sperm set. Maybe something did happen?" she asked.

"You are bringing up some valid points. And some scary ones. If what you say is true..." Alex frowned and muttered and rolled the thought around. "Fuck. Well, we'll have to see what happens."

"I know we will," she nodded. He kissed her gently and rested a hand over her belly as it grew. It was getting to the point that they were ready to grow faster now. Kim and Aden had steaks ready for her the moment her hunger pains hit. Nick was guarding the breeder chamber, and Robin was still guarding Agatha's door. Eddie was monitoring the system scans. He sounded the first mental alarm to show that something unknown came up on the radar.

"Shit!" Alex hissed, kissed her hard, and told her that something was spotted as possibly hostile. There were a lot more drones now, and small teams were set up quickly to guard the hatched breeders. Robert was notified, and he made himself present with Alex.

"When were they spotted? What direction?" Robert asked.

"Just five minutes ago from the direction of New York. Appears to be another submarine," Eddie said, as he showed the scans. Alex assumed the guise of Sergeant Thomas and nodded to Robert. _It was time to see who was showing up at their door._ The drones were ready to dive out into the ocean. They didn't need air to breathe and had started to show their efficiency through fishing. It made another food source available to give some of the beef meat and Hunter meat a form of balance. The best swimmers were picked and in the water shortly after. Alex listened to their thoughts, and they confirmed it was a submarine.

"Hide the doctor and Dana," Alex said. Eddie nodded and moved to do just that. The moment the intruding submarine docked, Robert was there with Alex in disguise.

"I'm here to speak with Leopold!" a man in a suit said, as he walked out of the submarine. He was wearing a soldier's uniform, but appeared to be there for maintenance.

"He's very busy at the moment. Who are you? I am Commander Robert Harrison."

"Oh! You're the Commander he told me about! He didn't give me a name, but it's all good. Glad to meet you! I'm David Bertowski. The main technical repairman for the station. The phones were out, so I couldn't call ahead," he said. "I normally don't just drop in like this."

"Oh. Yes. Sorry about that. Our satellite had malfunctioned and blew up in space. A replacement was given to us," Alex said easily. "So, you're the repairman?"

"Yes. I am," David said. He suddenly felt nervous. _Like I walked into a trap._ The second strongest hammer drone walked over to shake his hand, as though to show him an area that needed to be fixed. He was in the temporary guise of a dead scientist to avoid suspicion. Then he consumed the man.

"Do the same to the crew!" Alex snapped. Various strong drones moved in swiftly, and a new submarine was claimed for their little army.

"Do you think that was wise?" Robert winced.

"Very. Considering that...our technician was also a hired spy," Alex mused at the memories given to him. "This base is known of by one other man."

"Who?" Robert now asked with a form of worry.

"Who is the man you trust the most? The one who helped us get the new satellite?" Alex grinned. "The same one...who was also funding these scientists. Be very glad that he has no idea that you are being stored here."

"You're shitting me! John is the spy?!" Robert hissed.

"Yes. Looks like John's luck just wore out," Alex snarled. "Good thing we don't use that satellite, either, except for your random military calls. I should send in one of our infiltration drones to take him over."

"Do we really need to take that drastic of a measure?" Robert asked.

"Hmm. Agatha always tends to come up with some very interesting plans. Let's ask her for her expertise on this delicate matter," Alex said. Robert nodded and they walked over to where she lay. She sat up a bit to study her mate's face, as he told her what he found out.

"A spy?! He needs to be removed! Quickly!" she hissed.

"This is the same spy that I came to trust over the years, though," Robert said.

"Hmm," Agatha thought and smiled. "Does he have an assistant?"

"Why...yes. He does," Robert said.

"Take over the assistant first. Learn what that one knows. If the assistant knows the true nature of the plans, take over John," Agatha said. "Our drones do know how to eat. They don't process the food, but they vomit it back up in a toilet. It will be easy for them to mimic a normal human in public if they need to."

"I really love how you think!" Alex grinned and kissed her deeply. "What do you think, Robert? See what the assistant knows first?"

"If that's what needs to be done, then fine. I say," Robert said slowly. "when the drone takes over the assistant, have the assistant in the room with the video call I make to John. I'll mention a few things. If John shows hesitation about everything, I'll let the drone take out John. It's the only way I can make sure that everything goes smoothly. But, the drone will need to live where John lives and do as John did to avoid suspicion."

"If that's the case, send two drones. A drone like Nick to be the assistant, and a drone like Eddie to be the defense and infiltration. All of our drones look alike, and, if John always has his assistant, it will be less of an awkward situation if our John is walking alone," Agatha said.

"I really like how you think!" Alex grinned. "Hell, we may just as well send a bunch of drones over to make it seem like he's under threat and needs the extra protection. Then his house can be used as a breeding ground!"

"I have a feeling that we'll be taking over half of the government without realizing it," Robert frowned. "It feels like a waste of talent."

"Or we just have a breeder set take on John and the assistant. Is the assistant male? Or female?" she asked.

"Female, actually," Robert mused. "It's been rumored that John was sleeping around with her, come to think of it. The man isn't married, so it would be an adequate situation."

"And my sons and daughters are able to camouflage. This can only be done before they consume anyone. Remember? Once they start consuming, they lose the camouflage ability for good. It lets them get close to their targets safely," Agatha chuckled.

"Where do you get your ideas?" Alex laughed.

"From you," she smiled. "Robert, see if Dionysus and Athena are up to the challenge of infiltration with their own escort groups. We have plenty of drones to help them."

"I'll ask them. The kids are looking bored, anyways," Robert grinned. As he walked away, the more logical and stricter side of him was screaming that it was wrong with what he was doing. But, ever since his own government and best friend thought it was necessary to spy on him, he stopped listening to that side of his mind. He was listening to the side that was the father, the nurturer and the teacher, and now he lost himself in thought. _I need my kids to go out into the world and survive without me in any way they could. The kids I do have living in my home had sent a few of their own drones to this base to communicate for them, and they were remarkably happy._

_They were using my banking information to get anything they needed for the house, and they were very frugal with their spending habits. I taught them everything just by thinking about it. He was amazed at how intelligent all of his kids were. The oddest thing is that the drones they made were near exact replicas of the original drones made by Alex and Agatha. There was only one major difference and that was their appearance. The eyes were still black, but the hair was blond, and the skin was a dark tan. If Agatha was able to be with other humans, the drones wouldn't have to be recognized. The breeders could try to swap with other breeders, but they were bound to each other from birth. They simply wouldn't breed with the ones they weren't bonded to. They claimed that it didn't feel right._

He was curious about the lone egg in Agatha. _What did it mean?_ Like Agatha's thoughts, he was starting to think that the lone egg could bond with any human to make a new breeder. But, how would it work? They could only find out in time.

In Agatha's bedroom, Alex was listening to the thoughts of the other drones, as Agatha ate the cooked steaks given to her. Right after she ate them, he pulled her tight to his chest and closed his eyes. He knew he was a virus. He knew she was supposed to be his antivirus. He didn't care. He heard her soft sigh, and that usually meant she was thinking about something.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"It would be nice," she thought. "to send a breeder set to the island. Since your tentacle nursery is likely still there, and they could continue to keep up with the drones to provide distractions. What do you think?"

"You're right!" Alex blinked and nodded to Kim to send word to Robert. With that done, he grinned and hugged her tightly to him. "Any other ideas you have for me?"

"Well...I'm not sure..." she said, as she lightly traced up his blue, button up shirt. "It's not possible for you to fully undress. Is it?"

"I don't think so," he smirked. "I didn't think that it was much of a problem."

"I'm just curious if you can," she chuckled. He thought and focused a bit. His form wavered, but nothing happened. The virus he was kept everything the way it was meant to be down to the very fibers of his clothing. He tried to remove the leather jacket, but it just vanished and reappeared on him. She gave a bit of a pout, and he shrugged.

"Apparently not. It could change, if I practice, though. I'm sure it's possible," he said. Then he hissed, as her hand moved to carefully move under the clothes. When she started to feel skin under the clothing, he gasped.

"So...you can't take it off right now, but I can feel underneath. Very interesting. So...it may be possible," she grinned. He couldn't say anything right now. The sensation of her very touch on his viral skin was overwhelming. Then she leaned in close to whisper, "Should I see if I can touch below the belt?"

He gave out a heavy snarl of want, but he made no move to stop her. The moment her hand moved to slip under the jeans, a knock was on the door, and he shouted with disbelief. She blinked and wondered why Robin didn't stop the knock. Alex gave a murderous glare at the door before relaxing. He looked at her and said, "Continue where you left off."

"Oh?" she chuckled and decided to work him back up again. Touching his chest again made him shiver with impatience. Her hand moved slowly to slip into his jeans, and she was surprised to find a rather manly part of him there. He groaned softly, as she explored this part of him, and he finally couldn't take it anymore. He rolled on top of her and shoved himself hard into her. He had mastered the ability to not have to coat himself over her as a second skin. For a good twenty minutes, they tormented each other before they were able to relax.

"Not what I expected," he admitted and kissed her lovingly. "I am going to want it again. Believe me, you know I will!"

"Oh, I'm sure of it!" she giggled and then thought. "So, who knocked on the door?"

"It was our guard. It was making sure we knew someone wanted to see us," Alex muttered. "I couldn't hear its thoughts since...eh..."

"I see," she said with a wicked grin. Then she winced at a long stretch of her belly, and he moved to place his hands on her to monitor the growth. He placed a sheet over her, and Kim came in with a steak for her. After she ate, Robin let Dana in to see them.

"Hey, guys!" Dana said, as she sat in a chair.

"What's going on?" Alex asked.

"Not much. Just wanted to see what was going on with you guys and what the plans were now. Any ideas?" she asked. As Alex talked to his former sister, Agatha felt something odd shifting within her. It was a hard pressure that was being done, and it was in the same direction that Dana was sitting. She knew that breeder sets always pressed close to each other. _Was this something like that?_ She thought a bit more and looked at Dana.

"Dana," Agatha said softly. "can you do something for me?"

"Sure! What is it?" Dana asked.

"Can you, well, put your hands right here?" she said, and she pointed to the side of her belly. Alex blinked, as it was the exact spot the single egg was. Dana paused in thought and did as she was asked. Agatha gave a soft gasp, as the egg within her felt drawn to Dana's pressure. The egg within her was pressing back rather painfully, but the bond was made. Only after it knew that Dana was to be the one it was destined for did the pain ease up completely.

"Dana," Alex said with a soft grin. "you are hereby betrothed to a breeder. Most likely a single male that's developing in her."

"What?!" Dana blinked.

"Oh, dear," Agatha sighed. Nick had told Robert of what happened, and the Commander was now in the room to confirm what happened. At Dana's worried look, he had the answer.

"One of my kids is gonna be with you, eh?" Robert smirked.

"I don't want a relationship! On top of that, it's like I'd be with myself! Agatha's whole reason to have kids is because of me, and she could be my sister, too! Why do I feel like I'm in some red-neck, sci-fi flick from Hell?!" Dana groaned. That had Alex laughing, and Agatha was giggling like crazy.

"Not exactly with just her. I'm not related to you," Robert said.

"Actually, you are. My blood is in you. Remember?" Agatha grinned. That made Robert sigh and shake his head. Alex found himself grinning, too.

"Okay, okay," Robert sighed. "We are one giant red-neck, viral family. I get it now."

"Do you?" Alex snickered.

"And I still don't like you," Robert said with a bit of a smirk.

"Same to you, asshole!" Alex smirked back.

"Children. Both of you," Agatha rolled her eyes. "Dana, we'll just have to see what happens. Okay? Don't despair. Sometimes...things work out."

"I know. It's just shocking. I mean, if this is the case, I don't know if I even want kids right now, or how they would even grow! I'm still pretty human."

"Maybe not. Agatha's blood does various things," Robert thought.

"Don't scare me!" Dana said with a touch of dismay.

"I wonder if that's how single breeders can work with humans. If Agatha's blood is injected in them. It's a thought. Rather scary to think about that, too," Alex mused.

"No. What's scary is if a single female is born and goes after Ragland," Agatha frowned.

"Okay. That thought wins," Dana agreed. "He'd probably run tests on all of his kids."

"Ugh! Change the topic! Now!" Alex grimaced. Agatha started laughing and paused to cough, as her belly stretched again. The eggs were in their fast growing phase now, and it was going to be another couple hours before she gave birth to them.

"I'm hungry!" she gasped out, as she stretched again. That made Alex narrow his eyes, and he fully focused on her well-being. A cooked steak was brought to her with a side of elegantly steamed fish. She ate it ravenously and sighed when the hunger pains subsided.

"Better?" Alex asked. She leaned into him. Another meal was prepared for her in case she needed it and brought in. Dana and Robert left to talk further on what was going to happen.

"Zeus," Agatha sighed, and he ran a hand over her arm.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"I'm not going to stop breeding. Am I?" she frowned.

"Why do you ask this?"

"Well...I could use a break."

"A break?"

"I'd just...like some time without my body being pregnant."

"I see."

"The only time I had a break was before I came back from the island."

"I know. Yet, you know how hard it is for me to keep from touching you! And you know that you are the same way with me," he muttered, as her hand found his way to his chest. "And this only proves my point."

"That may be so," she smiled with a light blush, as he pulled her close.

"And you know that I will never get tired of you," he murmured and claimed her mouth in a deep kiss of want. After he kissed her, he growled out, "If that Commander ever loses interest in you, I'll gladly take over all of his places to be with you!"

"Zeus!" she gasped. He had to have her right then and there. He had no control over it. A good hour passed before he was able to pull away, and they both blinked at each other. They both received a mental prod, and it was in the form of an emergency.

"The breeders at the Commander's house," Alex grimaced, as he got the message from his drones that were there.

"They are in danger of being discovered!" Agatha gasped, as her children reported to her.

"Tell them to have their drones scout over the house!" Alex growled. Robert had stormed into the room when Nick told him what was going on.

"What's going on with my kids?!" Robert snarled out protectively.

"I have some of my strongest drones there, since it's your house. They just stopped and consumed a squad of military officials to take their place. Go to one of the drones they sent here from their brood and think of what they need to do next. You know your property, and they know your property. Show them the defenses they need to set up or activate!" Alex hissed. Robert nodded, and Agatha thought to her children. The pale haired drone they sent to them walked up to Robert to start discussing tactical information and defenses. Everything was over after ten minutes. There were so many drones there that the enemy was over-whelmed.

"They did win for now," Agatha said. "They need better defenses. Either that, or our drones need to go out to the source of the attack and neutralize it."

"If we can reach John and take him out..." Alex thought. "I strongly think that it's him behind the sudden attacks. I wouldn't doubt it."

"Well...what are we to do about it?" Agatha frowned. "Unless..."

"What?" Alex asked.

"We lure him here," Agatha mused. "We still have Leopold's DNA in the system, right? Is there enough for you to consume to become him? Enough to even make a clone to consume?"

"I..." he thought. Then he started to grin. Then he laughed. Her plan was perfect. I still have the scientist's memories, so I know how to act, too.

"As for luring him in, we can simulate a problem in the base that needs his explicit attention," she said with a dark look in her eyes. "With him here, where he thinks he's safe..."

"He gets consumed," Alex grinned wickedly. "We have his technical spy in our ranks now. Use the spy to confirm the damages..."

"He comes here and finds Robert..."

"Our breeders consume him and liquefy all of his assets to a point that we can use it for anything we need."

"Or continue to do his work, since they'll have his memories."

"I would prefer to have his memories, though. It's easier for me to work with," he thought aloud. "We could make a clone of him and have a breeder take the clone to gain his face and form."

"But, our breeder would need his memories in order to be him."

"True. I just feel that I should be the one to gain his memories. I can't hear what the breeders think. This is most annoying."

"Maybe..." she thought. "this is a long shot, but, could you consume some of the blood of a breeder to gain their memories? Maybe right after they consume someone?"

"That's an interesting thought," Alex said. "I might lose the form of the Sergeant, though. But, we do have his DNA. If I have to, I could clone him to reclaim the form. And, yet, just to think if it might be possible with that small of a sample, we may not even have to clone."

"It's what you did with me when you first found the cryo tube. Granted, you were able to become me from my blood, but you only had my memories at first. It was after we fought that you gained my full DNA. Right?"

"You're right!" he nodded. "Let me get Apollo."

Kim went to fetch the breeder male at Alex's mental command, as Agatha thought to Apollo as well. The young, blond-haired man approached his King with respect. He was actually quite a beautiful and handsome creature.

"What do you need, my King?" Apollo asked elegantly.

"A sample of your blood. I want to see if I can gain your memories with it. It's what I did with your mother when we first met," Alex said. Apollo nodded and offered his wrist without hesitation. Alex grew out his claws and lightly sliced open his skin. Placing his fingers on the wound to gain a few droplets of blood, he tasted it silently. Then his sky blue eyes opened wide, and he grinned.

"I'm guessing it worked?" Agatha mused.

"To perfection," Alex nodded and watched Apollo's skin heal back up. "Thank you. Now I know how to get the memories from the others, if needed. You have been most helpful."

"Of course, my King. Mother? Is there anything else needed of me?" he asked.

"No, my dear. You may retire," Agatha nodded. Apollo bowed to them both and went to join Aphrodite to assist her birthing. Like Alex, he was able to make his own form of a tentacle nursery to hold their eggs. With that underway, Robert was still talking to the drone from his children and keeping himself occupied with that. Dana was feeling bummed out and reclining in the mess hall. She was picking at her fish, and found one of the breeder males sitting with her.

"What's on your mind?" he asked. He was one of the few breeders that was far more relaxed and easier to get along with. He was also the other male that wanted to stay with them. Out of all of them, he was able to get more information from Dana than anyone else, since he was so likable. He was almost like a full brother to her.

"Which one are you, again?" Dana asked. He chuckled and shook his shoulder-length blonde hair. He inherited Agatha's pale blue eyes and looked quite dashing. He almost resembled the classic fairy-tale prince.

"Dionysus. Seriously, though. What's wrong?" he asked.

"Well..." Dana sighed. "apparently, the single egg in Agatha is destined to be with me. From what she can tell. I just don't know what to think of it."

"Really?" he blinked. "That's a bit surprising! I should be paying more attention to Mother's thoughts. But, what are your thoughts about it?"

"I mean, of course, all of you guys are incredibly hot to begin with, but you're also kinda like my relatives. And, even then, I don't know what would happen. I really don't want to be in a relationship. Much less with someone that isn't old enough to drink. And he's gonna be far younger than me. He'll be a newborn! It's like robbing the cradle!"

"Hah! So true!" Dionysus laughed. "But, let me give you some good pointers about all of this, okay? Trust me."

"All right," she said. "I'm listening."

"He won't be a kid when he comes to you, so you can toss that out right now. He'll never cheat on you. He'll love you with everything he has. He'll worship the ground you walk on. He'll learn any skill you want him to learn. He will always protect you. And, he'll do everything in his power to make sure you're always happy."

"Sounds...boring," she frowned.

"Boring?"

"Well, I like a guy who's wild. Likes to have fun. Not afraid to take risks. I like the guys that scream out that they're dangerous just by looking at them."

"He can gain the claw attacks and kill anyone that tries to touch you. Then he can glean their memories to learn how to suit your needs. If you want a guy that can sing, he'll consume the best singer out there and sing for you. You want someone to play music? He'll do the same thing. You want a wild guy? He'll make a quick stop into a bar and take out the roughest guy there to learn how to be the 'wild guy' that you want."

"Okay, okay! I get the point!" Dana sighed, and he grinned. "I mean...you guys, breeders, that is, are just...so hot! And...I honestly don't think I'd even have a chance with any of you. I'm kinda plain. On top of that, how do I know the single egg in Agatha is a guy? For all I know, it could be a woman mistaking me for a guy."

"Get over yourself," Dionysus smirked. "That egg is male. And that breeder will find you to be the most beautiful woman on this planet."

"He's gonna want kids," she frowned. "I don't want kids."

"Our kids grow up and don't need to be taken care of."

"But, will I have drones? Breeders? I don't know!"

"Well, how can you complain if you don't know?"

"I just...damn it..." she sighed and buried her face in her hands. She paused when she felt his hand move to rest on her shoulder in a brotherly way.

"The only way to find out is to plunge into things headfirst. You have to take a gamble to find true happiness. No pain, no gain, as they say. Right?" he asked. "You want him to take risks. You need to take risks, too."

"True," she muttered with defeat. "He'd better be hot!"

"Do you find me hot?"

"I find you completely gorgeous!"

"Then, yes, he'll definitely be up to par with me," he grinned. "Possibly even more, if he's made for you. Mother gives birth to beautiful children all the time. After he's birthed, you'll just have a five hour wait until he's able to move about. Then you can really judge him."

"I hope so," she said.

"Take a nap. By the time you wake up, you can see him yourself. Or...hmm. He could just come to you. Maybe that's what you need to do."

"What do I need to do?"

"Go to sleep. Let him wake you up."

"Ah...oh. I am kinda tired."

"There ya go! Okay, I gotta check on Athena. She's giving birth soon. I know that one of the next breeder sets is gonna go to the island to keep the drones coming. Mother wanted us to do it, but I think we are needed here more. It's just safer to have two sets of us here as a precaution. There's a lot that's going to be happening soon, as it is. Just keep your chin up. Trust me. It will all be worth it in the end. I can tell. It's a gut feeling."

"We'll see," she nodded. He patted her on the back lightly before leaving, and she managed to finish eating. Now she could only wonder what this guy was going to look like, and she started to feel a touch excited. There was only one thing that she was truly worried about now. Slipping into bed, she could only hope that she didn't turn into a breeder female. She heard what Agatha's blood did to Robert. She didn't want to end up like Agatha and constantly give birth to eggs. That would simply piss her off.


	13. Chapter 13

The eggs were birthed and set into the breeder egg chamber. For the next five hours, Robert watched over his children with Nick guarding them. The single male egg had a rather distinctive look to him. He was far more muscled than the other children. His hair was much longer than the other males and had whiter sheen to it. Almost like Agatha's hair. His skin was the same color of hers, too. He was easily the most beautiful out of them all right now. The moment he jumped out of the mucus coating and the outer shell hardened into his skin, he stood tall, and his form grew and lengthened to finish developing.

He was taller than Robert at six and a half feet in height. His long, straight hair came down to the middle of his back, and his extraordinary, handsome face was heightened with steel grey eyes. His chest was wide and lean. His belly was toned and muscled with plenty of definition. It was the same for the rest of him. Agatha was very impressed with her son, and even Alex was amused at this breeder male. He knew his former sister secretly loved men like this and was grinning to himself. Robert was very pleased at how his son turned out.

"Mother. Father. My King," he said, as he nodded to them. His voice was much deeper than the others. He was a very different breeder male. He was made for Dana and was special. The moment she had placed her hands on Agatha's womb and the connection was made, it altered how his form was going to turn out. He matched what her subconscious desired.

"Treat my former sister with respect at all times," Alex said. "Pick out an outfit. If there isn't one that can suit your needs, one will be made for you. Or you can make one for yourself."

"Yes, my King," he nodded.

"Will you choose a name?" Agatha asked.

"I choose Hermes as my name," he nodded to her. "It has not been chosen yet."

"Dana's room is at the far end of the left part of the base," Robert said.

"I see. Thank you, Father. I'll get dressed now and see her," Hermes said, as he moved quickly to make an outfit to his standards. A loose, long-sleeved shirt that opened in the middle was made with a set of loose fitting jeans to go with it. He let Ragland take a blood sample to study before heading to Dana's room. He walked in, pulled a chair over, and sat with his arms over the back of the chair. He let a few minutes go by, and he studied her features. He was completely enamored by her. No other female would suit me. This was how it was for all of the other breeders. There was no need to be with any other.

He watched her sleep for another ten minutes before leaning over to move a strand of hair away from her face. The warm gesture was enough to make her blink awake, and her dark brown eyes met his steel greys with surprise.

"What the...?!" she gasped and sat up before scooting to the end of her bed.

"Hi," he smiled, as he leaned away from her. "I'm Hermes."

"No...way..." she blinked. _He looked like he could have walked right out of a Japanese Manga comic. He was more than gorgeous. He was far more than just hot. He was downright sexy, desirable, and incredibly attractive._ Words couldn't possibly describe what else she could say about him, and she knew that he knew it. He was the type of guy that she would instantly believe would never want to be with her. _He was a super model. I'm just an ordinary girl. There was nothing special about me._

"Yes...way..." he grinned, as he watched her. "What's wrong?"

"You aren't the one for me. There's just no way!"

"But...I am the one for you. And I find you to be the most beautiful girl in the world."

"That's impossible! I'm drab! I'm ugly!"

"Then you're my drab and ugly girl, and I'll kill anyone that tries to tear you away from me. Is that better? Or do you want to hear something else?"

"I want to hear that there is no way in Hell that you belong with me!"

"Not gonna happen," he grinned and moved to stand up. She gaped at how tall he was. "C'mon. Let's go for a walk."

"I didn't even shower yet!"

"Oh? Need help?" he grinned again.

"No!"

"A shame," he sighed. She started to look flustered, and he moved to sit by her. He put his arms around her and hugged her to him. Looking at her from a corner of his eye, he said, "Look. I know I'm less than an hour old, but can you think of me as an adult?"

"What?! How do you know what I'm thinking?!" she gasped.

"Dionysus was just filling me in on what you talked about with him. It gives me an idea on what you're expecting of me. Do I look like I'm an hour old?"

"No..." she frowned. "You look like you could be in your mid-twenties."

"There you go," he chuckled. "Just think of me as someone who came in from out of town to meet you. Like a special blind date."

"But...look at me! I'm some plain, ordinary girl, and you could be...damn!"

"What could I be?"

"A fucking movie star! A super model! Someone who shouldn't be with me!"

"I beg to differ."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm in love with you."

"Ah..." she blinked and blushed. "But..."

"The moment you put your hands on Mother's womb, I knew it was you. You are the only one my heart will long for. Do you want a romantic? Or a wild child? Tell me! I'll be whatever you want me to be! I only want you to be happy."

"I just...ugh..." she sighed and got up to move from him. He got up right after her, spun her around, and hugged her to him. Why couldn't I fight him?!

"Do you not feel my bond with you?" he asked softly, as his arms encircle her tighter. "You have to feel it! You know it's there! Don't fight it! Don't...don't fight me. Please..."

"There's just so much happening. I mean...I know that I was given a pep talk about this, and...I know Dionysus talked to me a lot about this..."

He sighed and released her. She could tell he was hurting now. A part of her wanted to go to him, and another kept saying that she needed more time. Everything was going so fast now! He moved to sit in the chair with his arms over his chest, and he had his back to her. She was having problems accepting him, and it was starting to affect him deeply.

She swallowed and remembered something that Dionysus said. _No pain, no gain. I had to take a risk. Could I take a risk? Would everything turn out all right? There was only one real way to find out. I don't want to fight him._ Running a hand through her short, black hair, she sighed. Slowly, she moved to walk up behind him, and she placed her hands on his shoulders. He leaned into her touch, as he said gently, "I'll give you all the time you need. All the time in the world, even, if I have to. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me."

"Just one thing is kinda bothering me right now."

"Tell me."

"Hermes? That name? Really?" she asked. That made him crack a grin, and he got up swiftly to face her. His movements were so graceful that it was frightening. His stance was filled with protection for her. _He clearly did love me. Only me._

"Yes. Hermes is my name, and I chose it. Besides, Hermes was known to be a trickster and a smart ass. I figured it would fit me!"

"Well, so far, you look like you could be a smart ass if you tried."

"Heh! I know!" he grinned, as he put his hands on his hips.

"I just...find it so hard to believe that a guy like you would find me attractive. That's all. You look like one of those guys that would easily brush me off to go with someone else."

"Well..." he said, as he pulled her close. "that will never happen. I am a hundred percent all yours. You can believe that. Can't you?"

"It's going to take some time. I'm used to being asked out. Taken to places."

"Ah. Kinda hard to do here. We could go and check out the garden and a few other places in the base, but that's about it. I doubt we have any movies here."

"How do you know so much?!"

"Mother's thoughts, you see. I can read them. And Father's, too. You could say that I'm already at an age that I should know everything and then some."

"This also means that you know how to kill people, too, right?"

"Only if I have to in order to protect you," he said sternly. She closed her eyes and found that his scent was incredibly pleasing. Something finally started to reveal itself to her, and now she started to understand it. _Acceptance. Trust. This wonderful man, virus or not, was made for me to protect me and love me._ Her arms moved to hug him tight to her, and he gave out a gasping sigh of relief. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and breathed in her scent, as he hugged her tighter to him to show he was bonded to her. _This is the woman destined for me. I'll kill anyone that tries to take her from me._

"I heard you can gain an attack from my brother," she said.

"I can," he nodded. "I can actually gain up to three skills to protect you. And I have Mother's camouflage effect. I don't lose it, if I consume others."

"What?!" she looked at him with surprise now.

"I'm made differently from the others for a reason, you see," he chuckled. "I can consume whoever I want, but I don't have to. I was created for _you_. To protect _you_. To love only _you_. You are my world. Without you, I have no reason to exist."

"I'm just...scared..."

"Of what?" he asked.

"If we...do anything together. That's all. I really don't want to give constant birth to eggs like some mutant! I'm not ready for kids! Agatha gives birth all the time, and she never gets to rest! I feel bad for her. I don't want to turn out like that, you know?"

"I see what you're saying, but we don't know what will happen. Right?"

"I know."

"Have you...been with anyone else?"

"Yeah, I have. Just one guy, though."

"Is the guy someone you still know?" he asked with a touch of jealousy in his tone.

"Well, it was when I was younger. A lot younger. In my teens. You could say that it was an accident that it happened at all. I thought of it as an accident, at least."

"Did this guy rape you?!" he asked with shock.

"Huh?" she asked. She looked at him and paused. The look on his face was stern, as he now had various scenarios running through his mind. She licked her lips and said, "I don't know. I still don't know how to see the situation."

"Is this guy still alive?" he asked slowly.

"I would think so. I don't know where he is. I honestly don't care to find out. It was in the past, and I just leave it at that."

"Okay. Do you remember his name?"

"Um...no. I don't. It was a one-night stand at a party. We just hooked up, got drunk, and I found myself naked in bed with him the next morning. He had a condom. It was used."

"Been with anyone ever since?"

"No. I haven't. Didn't make much sense to after that."

"I have a feeling that there is something that you're not telling me."

"What is there not to tell?" she asked. He looked at her with a bit of hurt in his eyes.

"There had to have been someone else."

"There wasn't. I had boyfriends before, but never got anywhere even remotely close since that night with any of them. After that night happened, I kinda lost interest in guys and focused more on myself. You can even ask my brother."

"When you put it like that, then all right. I'll ask my King when I see him again."

"You call Alex your king?" she asked with amusement.

"Yes. We all do, as breeders. I know you won't."

"I'm sorry. This is all just so weird for me."

"I'm sure it is. I'm not going to rush you, Dana. If you want to wait twenty years, then I'll wait twenty years. If you want to jump in, I'll jump in with you."

"Why did you choose me of all people?"

"Because you need me," he said softly. She looked up at him with disbelief, and he stroked her cheek with his hand. He was a good foot and a half taller than her, and he gazed down at her in such a loving way. She swallowed, and he bent down to press a kiss to her lips. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Don't fight me...please. Let me love you..."

"But..." she whimpered, and found out that she couldn't fight him now when he kissed her again. He was able to disarm all of her defenses. She had no idea how easily she let him undress her. Everything was a blur when he undressed himself and laid her back on the bed. She wanted to compare it to her one-night stand, but this was on a completely different level. She remembered everything he did to her. Everywhere he touched her. She let him explore her body, as she explored his, and she was sleeping peacefully in his arms after they proved their love to each other. He had his chest pressed against her back, and her body was resting against his.

"I love you, Dana. Nothing will ever come between us. I promise," he whispered to her sleeping form in his arms. He pressed a kiss to her neck, and he rested his head against her shoulder to sleep lightly alongside her.


	14. Chapter 14

Agatha was chuckling to herself, and Alex looked at her curiously.

"Dana finally accepted Hermes," she smiled.

"Did she really?" Alex asked. At her soft nod, he grinned. Then she told him what Hermes could do, and he was surprised. "He really is different from the others! I thought she would have put up more of a fight. She was always a bit stubborn. He really was made for her."

"And, he was made when that batch of sperm that was created with your DNA. You realize that? I think my body just holds onto it and gives out a specialized egg at random. Otherwise, I'm not sure. What do you think?"

"I honestly have no clue. It's a nice idea. But, I don't think I want Ragland to have an opportunity with one of our breeders. It would feel a bit off to me," he admitted.

"I'm starting to think that maybe he should," she thought aloud. "Only because the breeder would know what he wants, can help in the lab with his research, and will keep him preoccupied from wanting to run so many tests on the others."

"Hmm," Alex thought. "Someone to keep him in check?"

"That's what I'm thinking. Anyways, when did you want to contact the traitor?"

"I was thinking after you give birth. I'll let Robert get you pregnant again to give him his protective streak for you. He tends to get even more pissed off, if he thinks you're going to be under harm when pregnant with him. I noticed that."

"Sounds good," she smiled, and he kissed her. He ran a hand over her swelling belly, and she showed signs of hunger. Cooked steaks were brought to her, and he noticed she ate a touch more with each new pregnancy. He figured it was because the eggs developed more and more. After she ate, he was deep in thought. When she looked at him, he smiled.

"I'm just thinking of how to lure the bastard here," he said.

"Why don't you work on making a clone?" she suggested.

"I'll have another drone do it. I don't want to lose the Sergent's imprint in my system. Surprisingly, I still have it. I didn't gain a copy from Apollo. You think I would have, too, on taking his blood to see his memories. I wonder if I can't take over the body of a breeder. Hmm. I'd test it, but I'm not going to chance it. We need the breeders. As it is, I'll have a drone take over Leopold's clone, and I'll tell the drone what to say and do. If I have to, I can do the same with the Sergeant. Emergency backup and all."

"That would be an interesting concept. But, now I do have to admit my curiosity."

"Of what?"

"If a drone becomes the body of another, can they breed?"

"That's really...huh. I don't know. They would, technically, have all the parts."

"The only other thing to think about is if they would be sterile."

"I would think that would be the case."

"We could have the doctor test it," she smiled. "Give him something else to do."

"He'll test it now," Alex grinned and kissed her. "I honestly don't think it would work."

"How is that?"

"Think about it. Our drones have been consuming other humans. They showed no need to want to try breeding out. Why should they?"

"Well, they never bothered to try," she said with a wry grin.

"Point made," Alex mused. "Now...hmm...should we test it?"

"I think we should while we have time," she nodded.

"Actually, before we do, I'll have Ragland test to see if they are sterile or fertile. If they are sterile, then there would be no need to. The drone with that technician is with Ragland now. I'll tell you what happens," Alex smiled.

"All right, Zeus," she smiled softly. She felt exhausted now. When she drifted off to sleep, he listened to the hive collective. _The breeders on the island had started to make use of the hospital._ He had sent drones out with each set of breeders and mused to himself in thought. _They were slowly populating various parts of the United States. Only humans with low living areas and no children were selected to be consumed. They took over the lives of the humans. They went to work at their jobs, did their daily habits and appeared to make themselves a fully functional human in that society._

_The drones that protected them targeted the homeless. People that no one knew of. When this happened, they would appear as 'new friends' to the breeders. They would become live-in roommates and had the ability to simply be active in the home. He did find it hilarious that anyone that tried to break into a home would find themselves suddenly consumed. Most of the time, the burglar was someone unrecognizable and not one to be missed. That form was easily incorporated into the roommate lifestyle with no issues._

_There was one case that a burglar was someone with a rather upstanding sales rep. And he had a family. Because of this, the drone that took the human's form understood that it had to be killed off. It was easy to simulate a car wreck. Alex wanted no families to be involved in his carefully planned schemes. At least...not yet._ He wasn't sure how a drone could take over a child. He wasn't at that stage to even attempt to test that. He needed to be more secure in various regions before even attempting to target whole families.

At another thought that he could have the breeders raise the kids to accept that their parents were 'different' was another idea, and he mused over it. _The child would have to be very young, though. And, when the child was an adult, they would be taken over then. Or even used as a patsy, or a messenger._ He didn't really want to use young humans unless he had no other choice. _It would be a bit hard to replicate a child's behavior. It was much easier with adults._

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts, and Robin let the one who knocked enter. Robert walked in and sat down.

"How many states do we need to have my kids settle in?" Robert asked. "I want a good idea. We can't have them clustered in one area."

"I'm aware of that," Alex nodded. "Dionysus is adamant that he stays here with Athena. Same with Apollo and Aphrodite. They feel that it helps to keep them around. I'm sticking with what they want. As it is, we can easily take a few breeders to Alaska. California now has a breeder set in Los Angeles. New Mexico has a couple of breeder pairs, too. We are trying to target states that they can blend in, but remain hidden from society."

"I know. And with the kids targeting humans with good jobs, decent homes, and low populated areas, it's all good to me. I was a bit concerned about Los Angeles, though. That city is rather dense," Robert sighed.

"Not along the outskirts," Alex grinned.

"True," Robert nodded. "I am curious about going International."

"The only way that would happen is at a press conference. Take over a few assistants, get close to the ones in charge with them, and infiltrate that way. Trust me, I have been thinking about it. We would always need to be discreet. We could even target people with various family origins to get their passports and papers. That may be another way we can do it. It also means that your kids may need to go into a few areas of New York that are densely populated with such people. It shouldn't be that hard to do. They could take over a whole apartment complex."

"That...does seem to make sense," he agreed. "Anyone can work in New York. Even live there with the right mindset. That won't be too hard. However, when do I call John?"

"I want to wait until Agatha has your next set of kids in her. We may need the drones she births as extra back-up. That second cryo tube is working now. It's easier to get meat supplies. I am a bit concerned about something, though."

"What's that?"

"The military hasn't done any island raids yet. I wonder why?"

"Well, if you want to know a secret," Robert smirked. "John was mainly in charge of all of that. And, we should count our blessings that there are no other raids."

"I know. The moment the raids start, the drones would be discovered. Then national panic would set in. I would love for a few drones to slip into the military personnel faction. It would help give us an edge on what's going on," Alex admitted.

"That will be done when we take John out," the Commander nodded. "My kids can call in various recruits and let their drones take them over. Geez...why the fuck am I talking about this, much less thinking about this?!"

"Because your 'best friend' tried to fuck you over and have you killed. He tried to kidnap Dana. He can fuck off," Alex growled. "He's a fucking maggot and will get exactly what he deserves. Mark my words."

"I just don't understand why," he winced. "I thought that he and I were on a level of understanding. Hell, I fought side-by-side with the man in various skirmishes! We both saved each other's asses!"

"That may be so. But, he is now betraying you. If someone is pulling on his strings, we will take out that one, too. We will be the ones pulling the strings to everyone else. And, think of it this way. When one of your kids becomes John, you'll have more of a reason to be on an equal level. John will likely be one of your sons," Alex grinned.

"That would be funny to think about," he admitted. "And I still don't like you."

"Fuck off," Alex smirked. They laughed at each other, and Robert left to get something to eat. He refocused on his mate's growing belly and felt out the eggs. _There always seemed to be more in her after each mating. The last batch she gave me had almost a hundred eggs. They seemed to be getting smaller. More compact. But, the offspring that hatched were always more advanced than the last batch before it._ He had a feeling that she would get up to a hundred eggs and stop at that maxed limit. He wasn't going to complain.

Her belly swelled again, and he smiled softly. Deciding to bide his time, he let the next few hours pass by without any form of interruption.


	15. Chapter 15

When Agatha woke, it was to birthing pains. Alex was already setting new eggs in the waiting tentacles. She hated to admit that it was getting easier to bear each pregnancy. The pattern was now recognizable. It took a full twenty minutes for the eggs to be placed in the waiting tentacles, and Alex sat next to her with a smile.

"Should I see Robert?" she smiled back.

"Yes. Then we can work on getting his betraying schmuck of a friend here," Alex nodded grimly. "What do you think we can break that will be a good lure?"

"The water filtration system," she said calmly. "One of the major systems can fail. We have enough water stored to last for a month. I think one of them was set to fail, anyways. Have the drone technician make the emergency call. I would even go so far to have it escort John here to show how bad the situation is."

"Hmm..." Alex mused with a small grin. "We'll do that."

"So, you want me to see to Robert?" she asked with small grin of her own.

"Before I tell him to fuck off and keep you to myself," he growled and kissed her hard. "Let's get you pregnant with him. Then I'll fuck you hard."

"Don't keep me waiting," she grinned and nipped his chin. He scowled at her to make her laugh, as he got up. On opening the door, he found Robert there ready to knock on it. Alex made a gesture to hurry up, as he walked past the Commander. Flipping him the bird as he walked in the door, Robert grinned when Agatha started laughing. At his look of amusement, she said, "The two of you are like teenagers. It's really funny at times."

"I think of us as almost two sides of a coin. I hate what I do. He loves it. As much as I argue with him, I do feel that I am starting to understand his logic. What more is there for me to say?" Robert sighed and undressed. "I hate what I'm doing, but I have no choice in it."

"The moment you agreed to be at my side, you had no choice," she smiled.

"I know," he agreed. "I gained the family I wanted, but in a way that I wasn't expecting. At least I know that my kids are smart."

"You know it," she chuckled and let him move into the bed to claim her.

"I'll...never get...used to this...!" he hissed out, as he gave in to the pleasure that racked his body. "I'm so glad...that no one else...gets to feel this...!"

"Why?" she asked breathlessly.

"It's...torture. In a way..." he winced. As a response, she ran her nails over his back to get him to scream. "Impossible...!"

"Stop talking. Keep fucking," she growled and cried out a sharp thrust he gave her. After the pleasuring hour was done, he rolled off of her and panted for air. She was always no better after an impregnating session. Of course, Alex was the only one to get her to feel like this for the fun of it. Another ten minutes passed, and Robert rested a hand over her belly to feel the new eggs forming. He sighed and shook his head. She looked at him curiously.

"It's always ten at a time, isn't it?" he frowned.

"It seems to be that way," she nodded. "Of course, our children seem to make as many drones as I do. When I first had eggs with Alex, it was fifty eggs. It was close to a hundred just now. I don't know how many more will form each time."

"Hopefully not too much more," he smiled. "I doubt you'd have enough room left!"

"Quiet!" she grinned and poked his side. He chuckled and rubbed her belly gently before getting up to dress. "Oh, I think Alex wanted to contact John shortly."

"That's right. Any ideas on how to lure him?" he asked.

"I was thinking for one of the main water filters gets tampered. Dana should know how to do it without damaging it too much. Once it malfunctions, the drone with the technician imprint can make the call. You will stay hidden. We don't want you to come out until John is safely trapped. Then you can ask all the questions you want before we have one of our children take him over. Will he have his assistant with him?"

"Yes. He never goes anywhere without her," he nodded.

"Good. I'm sure we have Osiris and Isis ready?" she chuckled.

"You know they've been ready," he grinned. "I do find it funny that they insist on using names from gods and goddesses. What do we do if they run out of names?"

"Well, they each have their own form of mental voice. If they decide to use the same name, it would be easy to tell them apart. I think Aphrodite did that. Our other daughter chose to go with the name Venus. It means the same thing, just in the Roman sense."

"That's right, huh? Same thing with that god of war, Ares. He was known as Mars, right? I think he was."

"Yes, he was," she nodded. When Alex walked in to move to her side, he glared mildly at the Commander. Robert learned how to ignore that rather quickly. Only after Alex felt the eggs developing did he finally decide to talk.

"Dana is dismantling the main filter pump right now. A heavy piece of floating seaweed is going to be sucked into the filter to block it. After it's in place, the call will be made. She's also going to heavily foul up the filters. To a point that only he can decide if they really need to be replaced. But, they'll be fine. Nothing a mild acid wash will fix. She told me something interesting, too," Alex grinned.

"What's that?" Agatha smiled. Robert looked at him curiously.

"Hermes is able to speak to her mentally. Bonded mates like them have the ability," he grinned a bit more. Agatha's jaw dropped with complete surprise. Even Robert was surprised by this. "As much as I don't want to, we may want to see if Ragland can get a breeder female."

"And, if a male is created? What do we do?" she frowned.

"We won't know, will we? Not unless we see what happens," he shrugged.

"For once, I have to agree," Robert said with a nod.

"You've agreed with him on other issues, too," she snorted.

"Rare occasions," the Commander corrected her.

"Asshole," Alex growled.

"Fucked up cunt," he muttered back.

"Both of you are idiots!" Agatha growled out, as she adjusted herself to sit up. A moment ago, she found it humorous. Now that the pregnancy hormones were kicking in, she found it childish and irritating. "Maybe you both need to fuck each other and get it over with."

"What?!" Alex gaped at her. "Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

"I should spank you!" Robert said, as he flustered up.

"Then both of you shut the fuck up and get me something to eat!" she hissed. Alex wanted to put her in her place, but he paused when he saw the swell of her belly. Scowling softly to himself, he gave one final glare at Robert before leaving the room to get her a steak.

"I don't like other men that way," the Commander said with a small shiver.

"Then grow the fuck up!" she snarled. "Okay. I get it. You hate him. He hates you. Don't show that attention around me! I don't need it. I don't want it. I have enough issues with me constantly giving birth to eggs for both of you! I don't want any more of this shit! Hell, if it wasn't for him, I'd probably be blown up, raped constantly by others, or even dismantled by now! Figure out a solution when you're around me! I mean it!"

"Okay..." he winced. He forgot how savage pregnant women could be. _She was no exception._ "I'm sorry. I'll do what I can."

"Fine," she said with a wince. When Alex appeared with a steak, he paused at the seething glare he got from her. He knew she was livid. Then she looked away with a heavy sigh. She was too irritable to eat now. That wasn't good.

"Check on Dana, if you could," Alex muttered in a neutral tone.

"Done," Robert nodded and left quickly. She took a deep breath and continued to look away. She was clearly too pissed off to think straight.

"You know how I am around him," Alex started.

"Save it!" she snapped. "I don't want to hear it! Be that way somewhere else. Not around me. I don't want to see it anymore. Just...leave the steak and go."

"What?" Alex blinked. _She asked me to leave?!_

"You heard me!" she growled. He looked away before resorting to his instinct. He set the plate down, moved into the bed with her, and hugged her to him. At her trembling shiver, he knew it wasn't with anger. _She actually needed this._ At her soft whimper, he cringed. There was only one way to fix this, and he knew how. He was _very_ glad that he had memories of various humans that had relationship issues! He knew exactly what to say now.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry..."

"Okay..." she nodded and curled up into him. "I go through so much...and if it wasn't for him...we'd have no breeders..."

"I know," he nodded. "I'll...be more neutral to him. Around you."

"Thank you," she said softly. "If I didn't need a stud, I'm sure I could cope. But...we know that we need him around. The breeders are his kids, too, you know."

"Yeah," he nodded and sighed. "He does have his...values. I know that much."

"That he does," she nodded back. They kissed hard, and it led to the needy mating he promised her earlier. After ten minutes passed, her belly rumbled fiercely. He smiled and pulled the plate over to give to her. She finally started to relax a bit as she ate, and he looked over at the door to find Hermes walking in with concern.

"Mother? Are you okay?" he asked, as he sat down.

"I am," she nodded.

"Father was stressed, but then I found out why," he frowned. "My King? Is everything well with you now?"

"To a point," Alex nodded. "Did Dana get pregnant yet?"

"No. I'm starting to think that she needs to be mentally stable to receive a pregnancy. As though, she needs to be fully focused on accepting it. She's not at that point yet. I don't think she's ready for kids. A part of her still thinks that she may turn out like Mother."

"I see," Alex frowned. "Give it time."

"We are," he smiled and nodded. "It's like I told her. I won't go any further than she wants to go. I meant every word."

"Good," Alex nodded.

"Robert is doing well?" Agatha asked. "I am a bit worried about him."

"Father is coping. You may want to talk to him a bit more. He feels...outclassed a bit. He really doesn't like getting yelled at," Hermes chuckled.

"Okay. I'll talk to him," she nodded. Her son nodded and quickly moved out of the room. "Zeus, you may want to prepare a chamber for John."

"Good idea," he smiled. He kissed her again and took the empty plate with him. Right after he left, Robert came back in to sit on the bed.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," she sighed.

"No, you had every right to," the Commander said with his own heavy sigh. "I was being the typical asshole. You reminded me that there is a time and place to be just that. So, the asshole side is sitting in a corner with a dunce cap on in time-out. When John gets here, the asshole will be out of time-out and ready to kick his ass."

"Good," she nodded. She gave a tired yawn and thought. "Should I even try to approach him? Or should I remain hidden?"

"I wouldn't go near him," he said seriously. "John doesn't deserve to see you. Granted, you can move now. But, who knows when he'll get here? Let our kids and the drones keep you safe. Okay? Don't you worry your pretty little head about anything."

"Really?" she smirked, and he chuckled at her. "I guess, you can talk to Alex and see about what to tell him? Prepare a speech?"

"I can do that," he nodded. He managed to rub her belly and hug her tight to him before letting her settle to rest. Getting up, he walked out of the room. Robin secured the door and nodded to him. A nod back was given, and he found Alex in the control room.

"Fuck head," Alex growled.

"Retarded ass fuck," he replied in kind. That actually got them to pause at each other with odd looks and start laughing. Still snickering a bit, he said, "Yeah. Let's stick to name calling away from Agatha. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Alex nodded. "Anyways, I think the storeroom that Leopold took me to before would be a good place to corner John."

"No. He'll catch on. Besides, whatever he breaks, we can fix. Right?"

"We can. Maybe we'll order the supplies first so that they arrive with him. Where do you think we should corner him?"

"The lab. You can show him a 'new strain' of mutation. Let him see an egg. It will shock him just enough for us to get the upper hand. I always knew him to get weird around stuff that is beyond his control."

"I think we have a batch of drones about to hatch in a few hours Would that work?"

"That would be perfect," Robert grinned.

"I don't mind him being in the lab for it, either, as long as he doesn't try to break anything. We don't want that to happen."

"He won't. Hmm. I wonder..."

"What?" Alex asked now.

"Leopold always gave shots to people when they first came on the base to stay a night or two. That's something I had to get. I had to stay overnight before being able to leave on the sub. Maybe we can prepare a shot that can paralyze him," Robert mused.

"We'll do that," Alex grinned wickedly. "And you're right. The fat fuck did give shots to outsiders. Hmm. Well, I'll be damned..."

"What?"

"He made any males sterile that came here!"

"What?!"

"Yeah. A precaution that happened when they were to see Agatha being formed. He was one jealous dick. I'll give him that. It's almost like he was making Agatha for himself. Glad I killed him off first. Anyways, he never gave John a shot. But, there is a flu going around. We could say that it's a flu shot. Best one out there."

"May as well," Robert said. "When do we make the call?"

"It will take two hours for the filters to be properly jammed up. We'll do it then," Alex nodded. They nodded to each other, and the drones were notified of a possible pick-up. The base was now ready to set up the trap and wait.


	16. Chapter 16

John was not expecting to get a phone call early in the morning. He just had his breakfast of the usual scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee, and toast when his assistant came to him with his phone. He gave her an odd look, and she shrugged. Her exotic beauty was what really pulled him to her. She was a touch Japanese with mainly American roots. She was bilingual, too, and her family was well known to work in International defenses. How else would he be able to get his hands on such equipment for hidden experiments and advances?

"It's not even daybreak!" he grumbled.

"Well, I'm not the one who made the call," she smirked back with sensual lips. She had her black curls tucked up in various curlers to enhance the effect when they came out. Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle with a form of amusement, as she regarded him. She was spoiled rotten, but she also got the job done for him. Her slight figure was fit and trim with cardio workouts and healthy eating. As much as he wanted to admire her figure, the phone rang again. He gave a mutter of defeat and answered the phone.

"Hello?" he said briskly.

"Sir! It's David Bertowski calling from Site Nine. We have a technical problem. I need you here, Sir. It needs to be evaluated by you," the technician drone said calmly.

"What's going on?" John asked. Now he was concerned.

"Main filter malfunction. No water is vacuuming through to be processed. Before I order the replacement parts, you need to do the inspection. I also learned that Project Hera has been activated and fully functional," the drone said again in a quieter tone.

"WHAT?!" John gaped with solid disbelief. "And that fat fuck of a scientist never told me?! When was that project operational?! When?!"

"About a month ago. Project Hera is back at base. Project Zeus is terminated. Since I'm talking to you from here, the bomb was removed and disposed of. As of right now, female DNA is being secured. Plans for her to be bred out are underway."

"Fuck!" John hissed. "I told that fat fucker to not activate her unless I was present!"

"Apparently," he heard the technician drone smirk. "you couldn't be contacted. We both know how much of a horny bastard he is. I think he only plans to be the only one to breed with her. Or at least be the first to try. You know how 'hands on' he likes to be with his creations. You might want to get down here ASAP. I'll try to stall him the best I can."

"Do that!" John growled.

"Oh, Sir," the drone said.

"What?"

"There is something else you should know."

"And what's that?"

"Commander Harrison knows of the project. He was contacted by Sergeant Thomas. Also, the satellite you replaced? The junk one? Apparently, it was to replace the satellite for here. That other one...it blew up from a malfunction..."

"Are you shitting me?!" John said with solid disbelief once again.

"Sir, you send me here all the time to report to you on what I find. This is what I found out. It's a solid goat fuck all around. Commander Harrison isn't here, but I learned he plans to return. Leopold thinks that he could become a viable male for her."

"Son of a bitch!" he scowled. "Delay everything! I'm on my way! Have they found a female strand yet?"

"No, Sir."

"I'll bring Lynette. She'll be the strain. Get the transport ready for me in one hour!"

"I already notified transport. They will be waiting at the dock," the technician drone nodded. John closed off the connection and seethed. _Robert knew everything. He was a crafty fox. John knew this. But, why was he contacted?! And now Leopold wants Robert to be a possible candidate for breeding out Project Hera? Something was strange. Yet, it came from my technician. The man never lied to me. Why would he lie about something this important?_ As he thought over the situation, he grumbled. _If the main water filter failed, I have no choice. I have to examine it for myself. I have to judge how damaged it is. That was a major expense, too, if it couldn't be repaired!_ He noticed that Lynette looked worried.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked her.

"Do I...have to be used for that thing?" she trembled.

"I would want no other to hold the honor," he smiled gently.

"I really don't want to do it," she cringed.

"Lynette, what did you promise your father before agreeing to be my assistant?" he asked. "When you expressed how much you wanted to assist me?"

"To uphold your every wish."

"And have you done that so far?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to go back on it?"

"Ah..." she hesitated before finally giving a soft sigh. "No."

"Good," he chuckled and stood up to hug her. "Go pack us two suitcases for an overnight stay. All right? It should be a very fast trip. All I have to do is check on the filter issue and agree to replace it. If it was a secondary filter, I could have simply given the okay to fix. The main filter is a half a million dollar fix, if it's bad enough. I need to really judge if I want to front that bill. It won't set me back, but I don't like spending that much unless I have to. I don't want to go there, but this is something I have to do. I need you at my side."

"Yes, Sir," she nodded. Her duty to serve came back in full. "I shall prepare for travel."

"Excellent," he smiled. He watched her leave with his eyes firmly on her rump. He chuckled and went to the file cabinet to pull out the specs of the expensive filter. He wanted everything with him before making the call to either fix or replace. He still couldn't get the nagging thought out of his mind that Leopold never told him that Project Hera was operational. _I want to check on that personally. I also want to see what the finished project looks like. I was never permitted to see the tank._ Now he realized that Leopold really was keeping the finished details to himself. _That would change as of now._


	17. Chapter 17

Back on the underwater base, Alex was grinning at the drone's performance. _It was perfection. Complete perfection._ The bait was easily taken, and even Robert was impressed.

"You'll need to hide in your office," Alex said to the Commander.

"I know. How is Agatha?" he asked.

"She hasn't quite hit that fast pace yet. That will happen an hour after John gets here. I'm going to have Nick be the one to take on Leopold's appearance. It does have my claws, and it's of our personal entourage. It will remain here with us at all times. I'll have Aden be an extra copy of Sergeant Thomas. We have less than an hour to prepare."

"That we do," Robert agreed.

"I'm checking on my mate. If you have a fitting uniform, I suggest you wear it."

"Good call."

"Nick will tell you when the submarine arrives," Alex smirked. They parted ways, and Alex went into Agatha's bedroom. She looked at him curiously, and he sat on the bed to tell her what was going on. She chuckled at the successful ploy and sighed.

"He wants to see me, doesn't he?" she thought.

"He would," he nodded.

"I should be presentable."

"I don't want that sorry sack of failed fuck to see you!" he scowled.

"But, he should see what he helped create before dying by the same means. Shouldn't he?" she grinned wickedly. "I'm sure he would have been one of the men wanting to rape me."

"Hmm," he frowned. "I don't know. How would you dress?"

"I can wear a toga with my belly revealed. It would only be fitting. Right, Zeus?" she murmured. He pulled her close with a small grin.

"We can have that made for you. As long as he doesn't see you naked."

"As if I want him to! I just want to be the last thing he sees before Osiris fucks him over. I think it would be fitting. Then his bank account and connections would belong to us."

"There is something you should know about his assistant."

"Oh?"

"She has family connections in Japanese tech and warfare..."

"Looks like her family connections would need to be confiscated. How did you find out? Who's memories revealed this to you?"

"That technician. When my drone took him out, I learned quite a bit. There are other labs and places that John managed discreetly. It makes sense how a Foreign transmitter was tagged on Robert when he brought back clothing. John had access to it."

"That he did," Agatha mused.

"I may want to collect some DNA from that assistant to make a clone. I think Kim would look nice with the form here," he chuckled. "I could have Robin take on an extra form of John."

"Just as a backup?" she smiled.

"Of course," he nodded. "I'll also need to take a sample of blood from Osiris and Isis after the target forms are consumed. I will need the memories."

"I figured that," she sighed, as her belly rumbled. Kim brought over a plate of seared meat and fish for her. At a thought while she ate, she asked, "How are we on food for the livestock? I know that such things don't last forever."

"True. I have a few drones taking care of them. We have a few goats and about four cows left with that bull. Grain isn't too bad right now. Same with the hay. Maybe I can find out where the livestock originally came from. We may need to have a breeder pair take over a farm. This way, we can get adequate meat and feed for them. With enough drones, it will be easy to maintain. What do you think?"

"We should," she agreed fully. "Excess meat and foodstuffs can be given to our other breeders. They need to eat. The drones don't."

"We could see about getting some chickens. The manure they make would go to the garden, anyways. Same with the cattle. We haven't killed any of the goats yet, but they were mainly for Dana and Ragland. We had so much meat from the cows that we really didn't need to slaughter them. I think one could be harvested for you. We could see about trying some pork for you. I really want you to eat a variety of different proteins. It would help."

"Don't mother me!" she giggled, and he nuzzled her. "I was curious about getting some shrimp and other seafood lines, too."

"We can do that," he nodded. He looked over at the door when Robin let in Dana.

"Hey, guys!" she smiled with a wave. Hermes appeared right behind her with a small smile of his own. "What's the plan?"

"John will be here shortly. You are to remain hidden. We are discussing means of getting other livestock here like chicken and pork, as well as a means to feed them. We may be looking at taking over a couple farms. It shouldn't be too bad," Alex said.

"Oh!" Dana gasped at the mention of possible pigs coming down. "You know I'm going to want some ham! Honey cured!"

"Hmm," Alex mused. "A beehive might be too much. We may have to settle for pre-packaged supplies of that. Easy to get, though. Maybe I can have some ham sent down first to see if Agatha likes it. Same with some chicken products. If it works for her, we can see about getting some breeding pairs. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. Goat meat is nice, but we need to conserve what we have. We didn't have to kill any goats, but I may have one taken apart just to see if she likes the flavor."

"We should see about exotic stuff, too," Dana giggled. "Like deer and duck."

"I like that idea," he grinned.

"You never told me you were such a carnivore," Hermes grinned at his mate.

"You never asked!" Dana grinned back. "There is a lot that you don't know about me."

"We need to fix that," he said with a wicked grin. She paled and squeaked when he tossed her onto his shoulder. "My King, I'll be keeping her properly distracted while the intruders are here. If you need us, let us know."

"I will let you know. Don't worry," Agatha said with a soft laugh.

"Of course, Mother," he chuckled and left for his room with a blushing Dana.

"He really does suit her," she smiled.

"He was made for her," Alex smiled back. At her rumbling gut, the rest of the hour was dedicated to feeding her and letting her rest. When the alarm signaled that the submarine was fast approaching, he grinned wickedly.

"Get us some new connections," Agatha smiled and let him kiss her fiercely. He left with the guise of Sergeant Thomas in full effect. _It was time for the trap to spring._

"Is everything ready?" he asked Nick.

"Yes," it responded. "Osiris and Isis are waiting nearby. Robert is waiting in the lab. Doctor Ragland is hiding in the back office of the lab. Several eggs are almost at the point of fast growth. Everything is prepared."

"What about the clones?" he asked. As a response, Nick became a perfect copy of Leopold's form. Alex nodded and sent over every memory the man had. When the mental acknowledgement that the same was done with the Sergeant, the same thing was done for the memory transfer. _The more the drones knew how to look and act, the more realistic it would be._ Various drones were dressed up in hazmat suits and waiting near the submarine entrance.

"The submarine is almost here," Aden said, as the drone walked over.

"Good. Nick, go wait near the lab. You'll know when to appear," Alex nodded. After it left, Alex smirked and waited calmly in his current guise of Sergeant Thomas. _It was show-time._


	18. Chapter 18

John detected nothing out of the ordinary when he walked out of the submarine with Lynette. The drones that managed the submarine were spot on with their appearances and actions. They simply had to be when it came to working with other humans. It was the same with the drones that worked the fuel station. None of the drones took over a heavy military official. That was where John was going to break that barrier.

Alex knew that only breeder sets would be the ones to take over powerful figures. _They can make the best safe houses and breeding locations._ There was only one thing that did worry him. _The assistant was always with John. They were never apart. Another drone would need to take over her face and form. They could act out what they normally did, as the breeder female was safely tucked away. It would likely be done after the breeders started to make their own drones. Or another set of drones would be used. The latter would have to be done._

"My King," Dionysus said, as he walked over.

"You aren't to be seen," Alex growled.

"I know, but we have ten minutes until the intruders are settled and ready to be spoken to. One of the drones you and Mother made came up to me to tell me what you were thinking of. I have a small solution for the issue of having the assistant with the replica of John," he chuckled.

"Oh?" Alex mused. "I'll hear it."

"Have one of your drones be John. One of our drones will be the assistant. They are never apart, anyways. Yes, Osiris and Isis will be the ones to take over the true forms, but we should have duplicates. I'm sure you know this, too. Send out the duplicates to keep assassination attempts away. They can glean new memories for us. Of course, we'll keep a good portion of DNA here for future clones, but I think this will work best."

"You have too much of Robert's personality."

"No. I'm a lot more relaxed than Father ever will be," Dionysus grinned.

"There is one thing that baffles me," Alex admitted.

"And what's that, my King?"

"Why do you and Apollo want to stay?"

"My King," the breeder male chuckled. "we feel that having us around not only helps Father. We know that Mother likes to see us, too. Granted, Aphrodite and Athena can't really see her, but it's just knowing that she has family here. Our drones go out into the world with yours to create a counter-balance. We learn what you learn to help Mother. She can only see what we see. It helps her feel more equal with you, and she learns at the same rate as you when it comes to learning of new territories. It helps her stay calm that much more. I do have a suggestion, though. You may want to consider it."

"I'm listening."

"After John and his assistant are properly brought into the fold, see about sending this next batch of my siblings to other countries. Granted, we may be able to go to Japan after this. However, we need to start spreading out to other areas. I know that Ares and Artemis plan to station themselves in Mexico. They were hinting it to me."

"Really? I thought they wanted to settle in Las Vegas?"

"Anubis and Bastet are going to do that. They always did like the ability to make fame and fortune. They don't even have to take anyone over. However, they were thinking of possibly taking over a casino owner. Not sure how that would work, but they have been gambling rather well. They started to make us a bit of profit!"

"Is that so?" Alex blinked with a bit of amusement. "Nothing illegal that would have them found out, though. Right?"

"No. Nothing like that. But, because of their continued success, they have been contacted by the casino owner. Anubis agreed to give back ten percent of the proceeds he won in exchange for free lodging and food. A penthouse was given to him," Dionysus grinned. "It is now a new breeder lair. At least the back room is. He has also started to have his drones start taking over the staff. He does like the owner of the casino. He's sort of thinking of him as a bit of a pet. It's really funny! But, of course, he's not going to give away our secret. The only time he'll take over the owner is if he's discovered."

"As it should be," Alex agreed. "Good. I am going to want him to send over fifty percent of what he wins."

"He's been putting it into Father's bank account," the breeder male chuckled. "Father has no idea. So far, he has over three million sitting in his account."

"You'd better tell him so he can start helping us with those funds!" Alex hissed with amazement, and Dionysus started laughing with a nod.

"Yes, my King!" he laughed with a small salute. "Osiris also wanted me to bring something of attention to you. If we manage to get to Brazil, we should look into taking over a diamond mine. Even start seeing if we can get into the precious metal corporations, too. It helps to have tradable values as well as liquid cash."

"That is definitely something to look into. I was also thinking of farmland."

"Yes. That would be a must," Dionysus nodded. "Ah, the intruders are on their way now. I'll take my leave, my King."

"Thanks for the pep talk," he smirked. A light chuckle was given in reply, and the breeder male left. _I like Dionysus. He seemed to hold all the rational parts that Robert lacked. Apollo was more on the strict, disciplinary side. It was rather interesting how it worked out. Each breeder set seemed to gain a distinct part of Robert's personality and improved on it. However, I'm not going to see if another male would breed with Agatha. Fuck that!_

He was still in his guise of Sergeant Thomas when John appeared with Lynette. He simply gave a curt nod, but he did let his gaze move over Lynette's form. The memories revealed that the Sergeant always found her desirable, and he wasn't going to flaw the acting.

"Stop looking at my assistant!" John growled. "Anyways, where is David? The technician brought here? He said a filter was broken."

"Yes, Sir. This way, Sir," Alex said in a flawless tone.

"I also want to talk to that fat bastard, Leopold!" John snapped. "Let me talk to him first. I need to find out a few things. Then I'll assess the filtration issue."

"Of course, Sir. It will be done, Sir," he said again in his monotone way to show the order would be obeyed. He started to lead the old Commander and his assistant to the lab.

"Lynette will be used to become Project Hera's strain of female hormones. Why wasn't I told that Project Hera was operational?" John asked.

"I do not know, Sir. My commanding officer, Leopold, has his reasons, Sir. I will let you get all of the answers from him, Sir," Alex said obediently. He could sense Lynette's discomfort at being used for Agatha, and he smirked when he wasn't looked at. _The whore would be used for far more than that. She would be the new key for International take overs._

"He'd better give me all of the answers!" John muttered. When they got to the laboratory, the eggs were carefully hidden away for now. They wanted nothing out of the ordinary to be seen. The drone with Leopold's face and form was seen hovering over a microscopic slide. It was as though it was studying a new disease with utmost fascination. "Leopold! There you are!"

"What?!" the drone said with precise acting. "What are you doing here?! With a flu going around? Are you crazy?! You and her will both need a vaccination!"

"We don't need shots," John growled.

"Well, you do with Project Hera being active! I can't chance her being infected with something else!" the drone spat. "Yes, she's an antivirus, but only to Project Zeus. I can't have anything outside this lab tamper with what she has. Either take the vaccine or leave!"

"This is _my_ underwater lab!" the old Commander argued.

"That may be so, but it's under _my_ supervision!" the drone snarled back. "I can't have any unknown diseases come through! Granted, the hazmat team may have hosed you down externally, but I know nothing about anything internally! You'll learn nothing from me about Project Hera until you get the vaccine with your assistant! There is a rather nasty flu going around up there. It's not like I don't know about it! I had the entire submarine crew get vaccination shots, too. It's a precaution."

"Fine. Give me the fucking shot," John muttered. "And you'd better tell me everything about Project Hera!"

"You'll learn what you need to learn," the drone said, as it gave both shots over to John and the assistant. The paralyzing drug would only affect the limbs, but it would take time to settle. "Anyways, yes. Project Hera has been active for some time. I tried to contact you, but your assistant kept saying that you were in a meeting and couldn't be disturbed."

"Lynette?!" John asked with a form of disbelief in his tone.

"He never contacted me!" she swore. "If he did, you know that I would have told you post-haste! That was always something I did for you!"

John knew she spoke the truth. The Leopold drone was back at the slide it was busily examining. It was actually a new viral strain for an egg injection, but they wouldn't know. Alex was there in his Sergeant Thomas guise, and he was musing over a data report to stay out of the way. He was grinning at everything that was going on.

"Who told you to get Commander Harrison involved?" John asked.

"Who? It was Thomas's idea, actually. Said the man owed him. Something like that," the Leopold drone shrugged. "When I saw him, I figured he would be a good specimen for Agatha. Project Hera, to you. Of course, I naturally had to fuck her first. As for a viable female strain of hormones, don't worry. I found someone else a bit more suitable."

"Sergeant Thomas got Robert involved?!" John gaped and looked at Alex. The Sergeant's form looked over and shrugged.

"I helped Commander Robert Harrison get out of a nasty situation. I took the punishment. I knew he would be useful. Sorry for going over your head, Sir. I was told to find someone ASAP. He was the only one I could think of. You were only to be contacted if an emergency happened. I only did what I was told," Alex said smoothly.

"You son of a bitch! That would have been considered an emergency!" John hissed.

"Who was the female chosen?" Lynette asked out of curiosity.

"Project Zeus still had a living biological sibling. A sister. She was caught and brought here. She is the female strain and under heavy monitoring," Alex said calmly.

"You got one of Project Zeus's family to..." John thought. "How?"

"It was easy to do once Project Zeus was under control," the Leopold drone said without a care in the world. "We didn't really need to destroy it."

"Wait...what?!" John gaped again.

"In fact, that Commander was able to produce quite a few offspring with Project Hera. I have one under evaluation right now," the drone continued and neatly changed the subject off of Alex. Now the old Commander was floored at the sight of an egg being removed from a glass tube. It was actually a drone from Alex's last brood, but that didn't matter. The effect was perfect. John stared with dumb-founded fascination at the small fetus. Lynette was scared out of her mind. What did I walk into?! What was I witnessing?

"I need to check on Project Hera," Alex said calmly once more. "I know you are busy, Sir. Project Hera is pregnant again. I need to monitor her. Leopold, Sir? May I check on her?"

"That she is. Fine. Feed her," the drone nodded. Alex nodded slightly, and John moved quickly to follow him. "Whatever you do, don't disturb her! The defenses may go off!"

"I won't," John muttered. "Lynette? Come with me. And keep your wits about you."

"Yes, Sir," she shivered and followed him.

"Sergeant, where is Robert now?" John asked.

"I last heard he was on his way here. After we see to Project Hera, did you want to check on the filtration system?" Alex asked smoothly. "It may be needed."

"Right..." John frowned. His body was starting to feel sluggish. _Why was that?_ He shook off the feeling and was led into the meat locker chamber before the bedroom. Robin was out of sight. The drones had to remain hidden for now. On opening the bedroom door, Agatha was sitting up in the bed. Her belly was starting to swell, and John paused in shock at her inhuman beauty. She glanced over at him with her pastel blue eyes, smirked, and smiled fondly at the Sergeant. Alex walked over to run a hand over her belly and whisper in her ear.

"So...this is John?" she asked. Her ethereal tone also caught the old Commander by surprise. He wasn't expecting that. Lynette was clearly jealous. "And his assistant. How quaint! Shall we have some lunch? I am getting hungry, anyways."

"I can arrange something," Alex nodded.

"Oh, make sure that Robert is here, too. He did just arrive," she smiled.

"What?" John blinked.

"You must be exhausted! You both need chairs. And get them some tea and coffee," she said without missing a beat. She was playing out as the perfect hostess, and her eyes lit up at who appeared next. "Robert! There you are. We were going to have lunch."

"Is that so? I'm not very hungry, but I'll have something," Robert nodded, as he walked in. He completely ignored John and the assistant. He knew she was just biding time before the paralysis drugs kicked in. He was all for helping with that. He sat next to Agatha on the bed and ran a hand over her belly. "The kids growing more yet?"

"They will be soon," she sighed and winced at a stretch. "As you can see, that phase is starting. Then I'll be giving birth in two hours. You know that Alex will be with me after that."

"I know it," Robert chuckled.

"Wait..." John said now. "Alex?"

"Oh, yes. Alex. My mate. You know him as Project Zeus," she chuckled. Now John put a hand over his heart with complete shock. He had no idea. How could he? When he saw Sergeant Thomas's wide grin as the form shifted back to Alex's natural one, he felt weak in the knees. Lynette had fallen to the floor when the paralyzing drug took full effect. John looked over at his disabled assistant and felt the drug finally steal the strength from his limbs next.

Isis and Osiris were now in the room at Agatha's mental call. Isis had her father's steel-grey eyes, but held her mother's hair, beauty, and perfection. Osiris had his mother's hair, but it was cropped short. He also held his mother's eyes, and his build was rather buff. They both looked down at what they would become to help their race take part in human society. Lynette's heart was racing, and she screamed when Isis came up behind her to yank her head back. Several vials of blood were quickly filled before the breeder female consumed her. Then she stood up with a smile and reverted back to her normal form. When Osiris was ready to take over the old Commander, he paused at his father's mental command.

"Osiris, wait," Robert said. "I want to ask him one crucial thing first."

"Yes, Father," his son nodded.

"Father?!" John gasped.

"Yeah. I'm a dad to over fifty kids," he grinned. "Grandfather, too, from the hundreds of drones they produce. It's a slow process."

"But, you're a soldier of the United States army!" John argued.

"I was until you started to spy on me," Robert glared. Now the old Commander gaped with disbelief on how he knew. "Yeah. Your spy was taken over. We know it was you. Every project you hid under the government's nose will belong to us. Thanks. Anyways, I just want to know why you decided to spy on me. I really want to know in your words before my son kills you. I think it would help."

"You were...reported to have a lot of misconduct. It was a safety measure to ensure that the rumors were false. I had to take action! When you went missing for several days and suddenly returned, we had to find out what went wrong. Even with the calls you made to explain yourself, I had to make sure you were being truthful..."

"Well, if you want the honest approach, I'll give it to you. I went missing for three days, because I was lured here. This son of a bitch," Robert growled and pointed to a grinning Alex. "managed to coerce me into coming here. I was trapped. He used whatever crap made him to pin me to a wall. I refused to eat or drink anything until Agatha, Project Hera, that is, came up to me. I...vowed not to go against her wishes. When I learned what happened from her on how she teamed up with him, yes. I hated what I promised. The island that's quarantined is overrun with their kids. As much as I wanted to report it, I had vowed not to. I am a man of my word. I keep my vows and promises. Unlike you."

"You agreed to ally with the enemy?!" John asked with solid disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"It was either that, or I have Doctor Bradley Ragland shove a feeding tube into my gut," he shrugged. "Either way, I get a family that's self-containing, I get to fuck a gorgeous woman whenever I get the chance to, and I feel like I'm contributing to something. A sick way to contribute, but I'm leaving a mark on the world."

"You won't get away with this!" John hissed when vials of his blood were now taken.

"We already did," Alex grinned wickedly, and Osiris was given the nod from Robert to consume the older man. "Feeling better, Commander?"

"Much," Robert nodded. Blood samples were given to Alex from Osiris and Isis to share the new memories, and they were gleaned. "Japan is next on the list?"

"You bet your ass it is!" Alex nodded.

"Let's wait until Osiris and Isis settle in and start a routine. Then we'll look into Japan," Agatha smiled. "Oh, by the way. I'm starving."

"Yes, dear," Robert chuckled and left to help with the food.

"I think it went rather well," Alex smiled softly.

"Oh, it went perfectly!" she chuckled. "Now fix the fucking filtration system before I get really pissed off, okay? I don't want that damaged for too long. And make sure that Robert transfers half of his funds to us!"

"On it," Alex nodded. She chuckled softly and mused to herself. _So far, the day was ending the way it needed to._ As her belly stretched again, she started to think of having a type of collection started up here. _I wouldn't mind trying out various exotic foods and meats. It would be nice to see what new proteins from different animals would do. I may get even stronger offspring._ She would likely discuss it with Alex later on. Right now, all of her strength was focused on the growing breeder eggs. With a soft sigh, she ate what was given to her and drifted off to sleep in Alex's protective embrace.


	19. Chapter 19

It took a week for the new breeder couple to settle in the old Commander's home. The drones that accompanied them quickly took over the whole staff that kept up the place. There was an impressive farm, a vineyard, a safe house bunker, and constant weekly supply drops. The place was a gold mine for rare collectibles and hidden stores of cash, too.

"Impressive," Agatha mused at an opened suitcase filled with stacks of hundred dollar bills. "He's been keeping his own form of emergency currency."

"He was," Alex nodded. "There's at least a million bucks in that suitcase alone. That assistant he had knew nothing of this. He was only using her for her family connections to warfare. Speaking of which, they will be checking on her soon. He vowed to keep her protected. One of her brothers will be coming out in a month to view the place. We have a few of our latest breeders living there. The land is massive and expansive."

"And it's settled along the edge of a forest for easy hunting," she chuckled at the site of grilled deer steak being served to her. "I am very impressed with this taste and texture."

"I did notice that our latest batch of drones seemed...stronger, too. With the leaner meats. You did like that deer heart," he grinned.

"The hearts are very tasty," she nodded with complete agreement.

"Um, Alex?" Dana said, as she walked in with Hermes. "I need your help."

"What's up?" he asked.

"She's not feeling well," Hermes frowned.

"How is that?" Agatha asked with her concern peaked.

"I just feel...funny. I guess," Dana shrugged.

"Hmm..." Alex thought, and he went over various random memories. "When was your last period? Do you remember?"

Now Hermes's eyes widened, and he looked at her with surprise. The thought didn't even come to him that she could be pregnant. Dana thought back, and her eyes widened, too. At her look of shock, Hermes scooped her up and said, "We're going to Ragland. Thanks."

"Let me know what happens!" Agatha said.

"You will be the first to know, Mother," he vowed. She nodded and now Alex was deep in thought about something. At her look, he sighed.

"I'm going to help them. You'll be fine?" Alex asked.

"I will," she nodded. She was pregnant with their drones, but it wasn't at the more intense phase yet. He pressed a kiss to her mouth and went to the lab. Dana had the ultrasound machine being done. The result was true.

"Definitely pregnant!" the doctor chuckled. "You appear to be about one week along."

"Really?!" she gasped. Hermes was simply elated at this.

"Yes. But...look at how fast the fetus is developing. When did you start feeling funny?" Ragland asked. "We know that Agatha's pregnancies are insanely quick."

"Um...early this morning. I was with Hermes in the shower. I didn't really have a period since getting injected with Agatha's blood, now that I think about it," she frowned.

"How long did it take for Agatha to be formed from fetus to adult?" the doctor asked.

"Good question," Alex said, and he brought up Leopold's memories. "Okay. The fetus was fully matured in nine days. One month was pushed into one day. If Dana's baby was made this morning, then it's possible that it could be the same thing. Then it was almost as though one day became a year of growth. So, eighteen days was the same thing as eighteen years. But, it's only one fetus. Can we find out more?"

"I could, but it would involve me putting a needle in her to get the DNA extraction," Ragland sighed. "The fetus is too small for that right now. We should wait about four days to see if this is true. There will be enough there for a proper blood pull."

"A freak baby. Awesome," Dana frowned. She giggled at a small, tickling poke from Hermes and let him hug her tight.

"But, now I wonder," Alex mused. "if your baby is developing like Agatha did, are you able to give birth to Queens and Kings? Like Agatha being a Queen herself?"

"WHAT?!" Dana gaped at the thought. Hermes was now in complete shock.

"That...would be rather...hard to think about," Ragland blinked. "It would make sense, though. I wonder if any breeder male or female could be with this child in the future now. Or any human injected with that offspring's blood."

"We'll see what happens," Hermes said to try and ease Dana's thoughts. "Until then, I'm going to enjoy my pregnant mate. Thank you, my King, and thank you, Doctor Ragland. Dana, my dearest love, I am going to pamper your ass like crazy!"

"No!" she gasped, as he scooped her up to take her back to their room to make good on his word. Alex chuckled and studied Ragland carefully. The doctor was actually thinking about something. He appeared perplexed.

"What's on your mind?" Alex finally asked.

"As much as I know I would feel awkward about it," he started. "I don't think I would mind a companion, too. Likely not from Dana, though."

"If you have another batch of sperm for me, we can arrange something when Robert has Agatha again. We can try it and see if the same thing would happen," Alex nodded.

"I'll get to work on it," Ragland nodded back and disappeared into the lab. Alex smirked and went back to Agatha to find her talking to Robert.

"I had no idea how much wealth John had," the Commander sighed. "I doubt anyone did. Then again, he never invited anyone over to his house for tea."

"Only those of high rank," Alex muttered, as he sat down on the bed. "Oh. You're going to be a grandfather. Dana's pregnant."

"What?!" Robert asked with surprised. The discovery was now laid bare to him, as well as the possibilities of what the future offspring could be. Now Agatha was amused.

"It would simplify things, if single breeders could bond with children that Ragland and Dana produce," she giggled. "But, how would it work with a female breeder and Ragland?"

"Only one way to find out," Alex chuckled. "Ragland is working on another batch of sperm for me. He's interested in trying to get a breeder to work with him."

"Scary thought," Robert shivered. "But, well, what else is there to do?"

"We should start studying various areas of Japan," Agatha said. "What areas would be the best places to start populating? From what I can see with Isis's memories that she got, practically everywhere is packed. Rooms are very small spaces. Houses only seem to appear in the vast countryside with farming and production."

"True. It would be nice to see if we can get some Wagyu beef. Also known as Kobe. The meat is supposed to be very tender and much better than local beef. They feed alcohol to the cattle to, supposedly, tenderize the meat more. Nothing's been proven, though. I think it's just a hydration factor," Alex shrugged. "Think we can get ahold of some, Robert?"

"Hmm," the Commander thought. "Maybe we can just get a breeding pureblood set of them here. It would be rough, though. We don't have that much more room to sustain too much more. If we slaughter two cows, keep the bull and one breeding cow, and maybe two of the goats, we might have room for three Wagyu cows. Of course, one being a bull. We didn't get any pigs in. The chickens are small enough that they seem to work."

"I did like the goat meat. It was different," Agatha smiled. "Even pork was rather sweet. Dana was thrilled when we gave her that ham."

"She demolished that ham," Alex chuckled.

"I wonder. Has she asked for any more?" she mused. When she mentally contacted Hermes, her thoughts were correct. "She needs more ham. I think that's what she needs. She liked the sweetness of it."

"Really? Well, Hermes knows what she likes, obviously. We'll work with it," Alex nodded. Robert smiled and decided to pay Dana a small visit. Walking out of the room and down the halls, he sighed and looked over his life. He still couldn't get over what he was doing. Glancing at who walked up next to him, he found himself looking at a perplexed Dionysus.

"Father, don't beat yourself up over it. Please?" his son said.

"You know I can't help it," Robert admitted.

"Do you regret making me?"

"No! Of course, I don't!"

"Granted, your glory days are over. They could be just beginning, too, you know. And, just so you know, Osiris told me something interesting yesterday. I didn't want to bring it up. It would have really hurt you."

"What did he find out?"

"You were going to be 'honorably discharged' from the military within the year. Possibly sooner," Dionysus winced. At his father's incredulous gaze, he continued, "The military upholding officials felt that your sudden absence and cleaning out of your office forced their hand in the decision. You would have received a pension, a few awards, and a couple honorable mentions. It would have been done at a surprise military ball. Then a strict honor guard would have been assigned to you at all times to ensure that no attacks happened to you."

"Those fucking sons of bitches! After all I fucking did for them?!" his father seethed. "I fucking called each one of those bastards! I told them why I was gone!"

"We all know," his son agreed. "As much as they believed your issue, they felt that it was possibly best to simply cut you off at quick, so to speak. If you were under attack, they didn't want any of the facilities that you visited to become a target."

"Fuck them all!" he snarled. "I'm done playing the good guy!"

"You were done with that the moment you met Mother," his son smirked. Now he got a surprising bone-crushing hug from Robert and a kiss to his forehead.

"Don't leave the base. Just stay put to help me stay sane," Robert muttered.

"Of course, Father. I made no plans to leave, anyways," Dionysus smiled and hugged him back like a son would. "Did you want to see Athena?"

"Yeah," he smiled back and lost himself in thought. _I don't care if my family was made of mutations now. I don't care if the world was likely going to fall under attack to something I helped create. The world owes me. I kept my country safe for who knows how long, and they were getting ready to slap me in the face to force me to back off. My own parents had died in their own car wreck a long time ago, and my grandparents were long gone when I joined the military. I was an only child. Now I have a massive army of a family._ And, for the first time since they left to go off on their own, he could actually feel the immense show of love and trust that they sent to him now. He couldn't hear their thoughts, but he could feel their emotional relief. He finally accepted them in full.

He was now shown how much he was worth to them. They would all die to protect him, as well as each other. _I don't need any form of body guards. I don't need any form of rewards or speeches of honor. I have my kids._ When he saw Athena, she was able to walk around after the birth of drones she just had. This was her window to give him the hug he needed. _This is my daughter. A beautiful woman that's fucking her brother, but I can look past that. It's pretty much what I told Dana before. It was a giant, viral, red-neck family._ And he was very happy to be a part of it now.

"Are you crying, Father?" Athena asked with a twinkle of amusement in her steel-grey eyes. "I've never known you to cry."

"It's a malfunction in the sprinkler system," he said without missing a beat.

"There are no sprinkler systems in here," Dionysus grinned.

"Shut up," Robert scowled and rubbed his knuckles on his son's head.

"Father!" his son exclaimed with disbelief, and Athena burst out into laughter. Robert looked over to find Apollo and Aphrodite walking in to hug him now. They were showing how much they needed him, too.

"You came out of your room?" Robert mused.

"We agreed that it was needed," Apollo smiled.

"Mother is very happy," Aphrodite chuckled.

"Are you two pregnant?" Robert asked his daughters.

"I just gave birth," Aphrodite nodded.

"I did, too. We are egg free for now," Athena smiled.

"Your mom is pregnant, but I think we all deserve to sit down and have a meal over grilled elk, goat, and chicken. Usual veggies, too," Robert grinned.

"Our first family dinner!" Athena giggled. "How human!"

"Rarely done, but needed for this occasion. Make sure Hermes and Dana are with us, too," Robert said. "If Agatha is able to join, maybe we can convince Alex to sit with us."

"Mother says he will be there. Just this once," Dionysus smirked. "Back to business after dinner? Or something else planned?"

"Probably back to the usual. Do plan for me stop by a bit more, though," Robert smiled.

"About time," Dionysus muttered. Then he winced at the threat of another knuckle rub, and they all laughed. "I thought Hermes was the asshole!"

"You aren't giving me a chance!" Hermes scowled, as he walked in with Dana. "Now you cut the act so I can step up to the plate!"

"Really?" Dana asked with a roll of her eyes.

"What?" Hermes asked. Robert started laughing. _I'm finally home._


	20. Chapter 20

It was business as usual after that night, but it was three days later that both Agatha and Dana were settled in the lab for ultrasounds. Ragland was busy extracting a bit of crucial DNA from Dana's baby, and Hermes was comforting her.

"I hate needles!" Dana winced.

"I know," Hermes soothed, as he kept her pleasantly distracted. "After this, I'm sure we'll have a bit more ham. I think we just got in a new shipment of ham steaks."

"We better have!" she growled. Agatha chuckled at her, and Alex was clearly amused.

"Hey," Robert said, as he walked over. "A few of my kids want to start going to Japan. As quickly as they can once they get their hands on some passports."

"Who wants to go?" Agatha asked.

"Demeter and Hephaestus want to go, for sure. They were living at my old place for a while, though, but they think a change in scenery would do them good. Hestia and Poseidon will be sticking to the place, though. Keep it lived in, and such. Hades and Hathor want to see what Japan is like, too. Nekhbet and Atum wanted to scope out England," Robert chuckled.

"I'm happy to know that Egypt has quite a number of names for them to pick from," Alex grinned. "I wonder if the breeders would choose names off the old titans next."

"I think they would," Agatha smiled.

"I did think of a couple names for our baby. Depending on the sex," Hermes smiled.

"What did you choose?" Dana asked.

"Cronus if a boy, and Nyx if a girl," he smiled.

"Why the name Cronus?" Alex frowned. "I would prefer Tartarus."

"If you recall, my King, Zeus conquered Cronus," Hermes grinned.

"Asshole," Alex grinned back and nodded. "Fine."

"Then the girl should be named Gaia," Agatha smiled. "I think the titan names should go to the Kings and Queens we make. It would be fitting."

"I wonder if a full King could forcefully impregnate human women," Alex mused.

"Name that one Eros, if he can," Robert smirked. That got them all laughing. Ragland had appeared shortly after to let the test results form. It was time to evaluate Agatha.

"So, you say you were feeling off about this pregnancy? The same way with Hermes?" the doctor asked, and he prepped her belly for the scan.

"In a way. Only it feels more...intense," she frowned. He nodded and they looked at the screen. Alex counted ten eggs, but Ragland spotted the issue.

"Look. These two are completely apart. Why is that?" he thought hard.

"Mother, I think I know," Hermes said with a spark of amusement. "Dana is going to have a baby. Ragland needs a breeder. Think about it."

"Are you serious?!" Alex hissed.

"But, it will take time for Dana's baby to grow!" Agatha pointed out.

"I was willing to wait for her to open up to me. I'm quite sure that the same will be done with this one. He, or she, will likely wait patiently," Hermes said calmly.

"Hermes, I have a set of names for you. Cronus, if it's a boy. Rhea, if it's a girl," Agatha smiled. "I think those names will be fitting."

"I...yes, Mother. I accept them," Hermes smiled warmly.

"Rhea...ah, yes. Sister of Cronus and mother of Zeus. A bit of the other way around, but...that will work," Alex nodded, as he gleaned the memories from various college students he had consumed in his island days.

"I'll start up a list to make sure of what names were taken and not taken," Hermes nodded. "It would be easier. I know a few of us are, but just to keep here."

"I'm starting to get hungry," Agatha sighed.

"Same," Dana mumbled. She was starting to get tired, too. Her energy was being sapped by the quickly developing fetus. Hermes scooped her up to cradle her, and she scowled. She really hated to be pampered like that.

"Did the tests finish?" Alex asked. At that, Ragland went back into the lab to look over what appeared on the screen. When he came back out, he looked very amused.

"Dana, you are going to give birth to Rhea," the doctor chuckled.

"A girl!" Hermes said with excitement to get the desired blush from Dana to appear.

"So, should a breeder male appear, he will be Cronus. Very well," Agatha smiled.

"Oh, I did have something I wanted to ask while we were all together," Robert said.

"What? Make it quick. The women are hungry," Alex smirked.

"Currency. Foreign currency. Should we start a stockpile?" the Commander asked.

"Hmm. Okay, you brought up something valid," he thought. "Yes. As quickly as we must. Maybe we can have some US dollars converted. Show the kids are there as tourists. They'll have to go through the usual bullshit to become eligible to live there unless they consume a few natives. May end up going that route to save face."

"It would be nice to try various meats from all over the world," Agatha thought. "I do like cheese on occasion. I know there are different varieties everywhere."

"There can be," Alex smiled. "Commander, do you have the ability to forge some fake passports? We can start sending out the kids the moment they get them."

"With the connections that Osiris and Isis have now, they can be ready within the week. I do want to see what the two odd breeders will look like," Robert chuckled.

"Can we eat now?!" Dana growled. She was starving. Hermes pressed a kiss to her forehead and took her to their room. A fresh plate of grilled ham steak was waiting for her.

"He has a shitload of patience," Alex grinned.

"Well, he would know how to handle her now," Agatha giggled. "Now feed me before I go fucking ballistic, too."

"No need for that," Robert winced. Alex smirked and carried her out of the lab. Before Robert left, Ragland approached him.

"I do have a question for you," the doctor said.

"What's on your mind? I'll answer it the best I can," he said.

"Do you know when the connection was made for Dana and Hermes? When he was growing in Agatha?"

"Good question," Robert blinked in thought. Dionysus was quick to walk into the lab to help them out here. He remembered everything quite well, and he wanted to help out his father from his mental confusion.

"Another two hours. Confront Mother then, and you should be able to make the right contact," the breeder male said. "I don't know about the breeder destined for Dana's baby, though. I'm clueless about that one. I can only assume that, if it's male, that he will wait to properly bond with her. I can only guess that it would be a reversal. Him putting his hands on Dana's belly, that is. Or he simply doesn't hatch and goes into a stasis. Or he waits. I honestly wouldn't know. Only time will tell now."

"That it will," Robert sighed. "We should make a safe room for all the cash that Osiris keeps sending our way. Any ideas on where it should go?"

"Hmm," Dionysus thought. "This station is at least a mile around. If that. There are quite a few rooms that haven't been used. We could see about building a few trick floor tiles. The panels do come up easy for quick repairs. If you really want to throw humans for a loop, I say we do the trick floors in the main hallway. They would expect a room. Not right under their feet. What do you think?"

"I like that idea," Robert grinned. Ragland chuckled and went back into the lab to monitor the various culture strains he had growing. Quite a few drones were injected with pure bull steroids and had developed an inhuman form of strength. Testosterone from a full-grown elephant bull was just delivered to him a day before, and he was experimenting with that. He felt like the doctor from the movie that played god with animal DNA and humans. The only thing that made him feel not so bad about it was that he wasn't working with humans. He wasn't killing animals, either. It was just a small form of genetic crossbreeding with injections.

"Hmm," the doctor mused to himself. "I wonder what happens if I can get my hands on some electric eel DNA. They can deliver quite a nasty shock! I'll write down a note to ask for some to be sent down here for me."

The next three hours were spent on writing down what requests he would need for various DNA samples. When he checked the time, he went to approach Agatha.

"There you are!" she winced at a pressure in his direction. "Quick! Touch right here!"

"Hurry. This egg appears to be impatient," Alex sighed. Ragland was swift in moving and pressing his palm on the desired area of her belly. She cringed a bit at how hard the egg was pressing back to make the connection. A sigh of relief was given after it was done.

"About three more hours?" the doctor asked, as he backed away.

"About that long," Alex nodded.

"Ah, good! I do have a list of various DNA strains I would like to get ahold of. Ever want to know what would happen if electric eel was given to a drone?" Ragland smiled.

"You have my curiosity peaked," Alex grinned a touch wickedly. "Tell Robert. He can get you the DNA you need now."

"I was also thinking of cheetah for speed, and even lion for more strength. The elephant bull appears to be quite potent. I am wondering about whales now," he chuckled.

"You are enjoying yourself," Agatha laughed softly.

"It's not often I get to let my creativeness expand. Granted, a part of me does feel bad for failed experiments, but I see the rewards on the ones that succeed. I will be in the lab if anything else happens," Ragland said, and he left shortly after.

"Glad I kept his ass around," Alex mused.

"Yes. I'm surprised at how willingly he does this," she frowned.

"Well, he and I have a bit of history. I kept him alive and protected. He saves my ass in return. It's a mutual thing," he shrugged.

"Care to tell me about it, Zeus?" she smiled warmly. He returned her smile, settled in the bed next to her, and began to talk about his history with the doctor. The rest of the time was spent like this in a form of calmed bliss.


	21. Chapter 21

When the birth started for the new breeders, Ragland had to be present for it. The egg that was birthed for him had everyone in a state of surprise.

"Is that...really an egg I made with you?!" Robert asked with disbelief.

"Apparently so," Agatha mused, as she recovered. The breeder female was still curled up in her egg, but the skin tone of this breeder was darker than usual. Almost as though it was a perfect tan from being in the sun. Even her facial structure was different. She appeared to be a top modeling actress with an Oriental look. Not as beautiful as her mother, but she could come close to it. Just as Hermes was constructed to be what Dana desired, this breeder female was exactly what Ragland envisioned his perfect woman to be. The doctor was simply stunned.

"Should we choose a name for her? Or let her pick her own name?" Alex asked.

"She can pick her own..." Ragland said. He was still trying to regain his senses.

"And, the male for the Dana's baby looks very under-developed," Agatha frowned.

"Tell me about it," Robert winced. The boy within the egg appeared to be trying to develop, but the growth seemed suspended. He was mainly there, but far more skeletal in features. It was almost as though his features looked undetermined. Dionysus and Apollo were soon in the room with Hermes. They wanted to see their future brother.

"Remember what I said about a stasis being possible?" Dionysus asked. "I think this is what's happening. This egg won't develop until Dana's daughter touches the egg. Her future mate won't grow until he knows what she wants him to be."

"Oh!" Agatha blinked.

"You're right," Hermes nodded. "It makes the most sense. No body hair. No real muscle structure. No true features. He's just in a state of suspension."

"I want him here," Agatha said in a stern tone. "I want to ensure his protection."

"Done," Alex nodded and made a tentacle. This one was special. It held a series of lethal spikes within it that could shoot out like quills in defense. The end of the tentacle even had a spiked barb for close impaling. Only a couple spots were open for eggs, but that could easily change. It was decided to have Ragland's breeder female in this tentacle, too. Special breeders would now stay with Agatha. Robert could only agree with it.

"I suppose," Ragland sighed. "I need to make a bedroom for myself. I don't think my future wife would want to live in a lab."

"You could say that," Dionysus grinned. "I'll help you pick out a room later."

"I need to check on Aphrodite. She's almost ready to give birth," Apollo said casually. Hermes waved him out and looked over at his father.

"What?" Robert asked.

"Do we have anymore ham?" his son asked.

"Why are you asking me?" he frowned. "I wouldn't know."

"Oh. Well, I was always told that you were such an awesome cook on the field of battle..." Hermes started. Then he ducked when Robert moved to smack him.

"What's this?" Agatha grinned.

"No!" Robert scowled.

"What? Burned pork rinds not your best dish?" Hermes smirked.

"Asshole!" his father growled. "Go tend to Dana before I fuck you up!"

"Well, as long as you don't char me up like you did to that bacon..." Hermes started up again and bolted from the room when Robert chased him out.

"Wow! Apparently he has to play up to being the asshole," Dionysus laughed.

"Well, the god you named yourself after was a dirty drunk," Robert smirked.

"I wonder if I can get drunk..." his son grinned. Alex started laughing, and he shrugged.

"No alcohol was permitted. You can try to drink cow piss and see if it gives the same result," Alex mused. The look Dionysus gave him was priceless, and Robert started laughing.

"I'll have Osiris send me a batch of the latest wine he manufactured. Thanks," the breeder male grumbled. "Speaking of which, Anubis won a rather interesting cargo in exchange for currency. He'll be sending down a few cases of caviar from wild-caught sturgeon. Our other brothers and sisters settled in various parts of Alaska and will be sending down wild-caught salmon, too. Ares and Artemis did manage to settle in Mexico, and they are sending us some intricate jewelry pieces. They want to help pamper mother."

"Me wear jewelry? I can't even wear earrings!" she frowned. "The holes would close up. I can see maybe a necklace or a bracelet..."

"Think of it as another form of trade," Alex said. "Currency comes in all forms."

"True," Agatha sighed. "Well, I want to walk around. I'm egg free, and I need the exercise. Alex, don't you look at me like that!"

"Ten minutes. Then I fuck you again," he growled. She seemed to glare at him, but she sighed with a nod. Her body had just finished reforming, and she finally got up to stretch. She wanted to visit her daughters. Alex gave a mild glare at Robert to keep him back. This was his turn with her, and the Commander knew it.

"Father, come and help me find the good doctor a room," Dionysus said with a bit of knowing in his tone. "No need to piss off my King or Mother. Right?"

"Right," Robert sighed with a touch of defeat. When they were gone, Agatha gave a mild look at her mate. Alex gave her one back.

"It's my right to be this way. He had his turn already," Alex grumbled.

"I know, Zeus," she sighed. He hugged her tight and kept an arm around her waist.

"Hera, I'm just reminding him of his place. We stopped with the name calling around you. We have tried to make it easier. Haven't we?" he asked.

"You have," she smiled. "And thank you for that."

"You're welcome. Now, where do you want to go?"

"I wanted to visit my daughters, but they informed me that they are rather pregnant right now. They promised to visit with me later. Let's look out one of the windows. I never got to really see outside the place."

"We can do that," he nodded and led her to where a viewing tank was to the outside. There really wasn't much to see at the depth they were at. Some light filtered down from above, but it was rare. However, it was the sight of a couple drones displaying the massive swordfish they caught coming up to the window that made her gasp with amazement.  _The fish was huge!_

"That will feed us for a good month!" she giggled.

"Very nice size, huh?" Alex grinned. "I'm sure a couple swordfish steaks will be given to you. They're hauling it up now."

"I want to watch!" she said.

"Okay," he nodded. He escorted her to the main entrance to see the massive fifteen foot fish being hauled out by several drones. _It had to have been at least a good thirteen hundred pounds._ She was very impressed. They followed the transported fish to the kitchen where it was expertly sliced up by Kim. A large, thick steak from the tail was now grilled to perfection and served to her. A hint of lemon flavor was used, and Agatha enjoyed it thoroughly.

"Send a steak to Dana," she beamed. It was quickly done, and Hermes reported that it was greatly enjoyed. He would have been concerned about possible mercury content, but Agatha's blood filtered all that out. As a precaution, they agreed to have the steak as a luxury meal when there was no pregnancy.

"The fish are a bitch to catch," Alex thought, as he recalled the information the hive sent him. "However, they will find more. Oh, the breeders on the island want to come back. They think they've done enough. I think it's time for them to come back, too."

"They're Sekhmet and Geb, right?" she thought. "Oh! Yes. I think the island is well fortified now. What about the tentacle nursery?"

"Hmm. I may have to dismantle that," Alex frowned. "That means a trip to the cryo tube. No reports of the island being military bombarded, right?"

"Ah, no. Osiris hasn't heard of anything," she said. "The moment something happens, he vowed to let me know. Don't worry."

"Let's get you pregnant. Then I'll see about getting the nursery taken down on the island," he nodded. "When I come back from the cryo tube, we'll send both tubes down to have the breeders come back at the same time. Come to think of it, we are running short on Hunter meat. We'll get a good stock going again."

"Whatever you say," she smiled, and he kissed her hard. He needed to seed her again. The urge to do it was becoming unbearable. He had it locked in his head that he needed to impregnate her before the Commander had his chance. It got to such a point that he threw her over his shoulder to rush her back into the bedroom. "Zeus! What's wrong?!"

"Can't help it," he grunted. "I can only hold back for so long, Hera..."

"Okay," she nodded. She had to let him do what he needed to do. The last time he waited so long for her nearly killed him. Even when he lay her on the bed and claimed her swiftly, he couldn't stop the loud sigh of relief that escaped him. Only after he started to fully seed her did his mind and thoughts right themselves. At the feel of her hand in his hair under the hooded sweater, he tensed with a form of possession.

"I have...a lot of bad thoughts...about that Commander right now..." he growled.

"Stop talking and keep fucking!" she hissed at him. A rueful grin appeared on his face now, and he kept to that task for the next hour. When he finally separated from her, she clung to him to hug tight. He hugged her back just as tightly, and he felt her sigh.

"What is it, Hera?" he asked gently.

"There's just...a lot going on..." she frowned. "It's a bit hard to keep track of."

"Hmm," he thought and nodded. "I know. We have made quite an army already. But, at the same time, we aren't ready to expose ourselves. We need to have every branch of the world secured first before that can happen. You and I both know this. We still have quite a few areas of the US that can be exploited. But..."

"But?" she grinned.

"It would be rather ballsy to send a breeder pair into the White House," he smirked.

"I don't know if I would want to go that far," she smirked back.

"Why not? They won't go for the presidency. Just part of the staff. Maybe into a bit of the Secret Service. Those guys travel all over the world, and they get ahold of the latest tech."

"They also go through routine check-ups," she frowned. "Seriously, Zeus. It would be too much for me to bear if our breeders had issues with that. And, if a female was recruited and couldn't be there for a briefing, she would be investigated."

"Not if they were drones," he grinned. "And that reminds me. Drones are fully sterile. They were never meant to breed. It does suck, but, if they need to look like they're in a relationship, it could be pulled off."

"That would be interesting," she agreed. She winced at the slow stretch of her belly, and she sighed a bit. He knew she was getting hungry, and a large deer steak was brought over. "Do you plan to go to the island soon?"

"Yeah. I'll be back in a couple hours, okay? I'll have Robin and Aden watch over you. Sekhmet and Geb will return here after I come back, like I said before. We'll see where they want to go," he smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Sounds good," she nodded. "Be safe."

"I will," he promised and kissed her passionately before leaving the room. He found Robert just entering the meat locker when he closed the door to the bedroom. "She's resting. Don't fuck with her."

"No plans to. I was looking for you," Robert said.

"Really? About what?"

"I'll tell you outside of here before I freeze my balls off and render myself useless."

"Didn't think of that," Alex grinned.

"Fuck head," the Commander growled.

"Dick weed," he replied in kind.

"That was kinda tame," Robert snickered.

"Only because my mind isn't really into it. I need to go back to the island to take down the tentacle nursery. The breeding kids want to come back home, too," he said.

"Ah. That explains it. What are you worried about?"

"Leaving Agatha alone."

"She's protected here."

"It's just the mental thought. I like to personally protect her. Anyways, why did you want to seek me out?" Alex asked, as they walked out into the hallway.

"Geb did tell me that he wanted to come back, but also that he was thinking of heading to Australia," Robert chuckled. "There are plenty of places that he can settle with Sekhmet, and camel meat is a bit of a staple there. We may be able to get ahold of other specialty foods, too. If we can get a few breeder pairs to Africa, they can supply us with Wildebeest and Zebra."

"That would be interesting," Alex mused now. "We'll discuss it when I get back."

"Oh," Robert said to catch his attention again. "if we can get to Switzerland, we can get some gourmet chocolate..."

"That we will work on," Alex grinned. "And you're a bucket of fucktard."

"Finally! The piece of shit has something else to say," Robert grinned back. They flipped each other off, and Alex went to the cryo tube to get back to the island. Robert sighed, chuckled to himself, and now went to Dana's room to kick his son's ass to prove who was the better.  _The asshole had it coming, anyways._


	22. Chapter 22

When Alex reached the island, he paused at the swarm of drones that flooded the place. He was relatively pleased. Geb had the drones working on grabbing every valuable resource of currency from the island to have it ready for transport. Banks were looted, jewelry stores were emptied, and quite a few bits and pieces of wealth were found on the littered corpses all over the place. Everything was stored in containers and suitcases for transport. If underwater equipment was used, the drones could transport it easily without the cryo tubes to wait on. The breeder pair had been extremely busy.

The moment the tentacle nursery was removed, Alex was ready to head back. There was only one problem. He noticed that everything they did was being silently observed. He was now on edge and extremely pissed off.

"My King? Is something wrong?" Geb asked. He was a lean, toned breeder male with spiked up blond hair that was cropped short about two inches out. His father's steel grey eyes regarded Alex with confusion. His face was round, but had strikingly sharp angles to show a handsome, noble appearance. Sekhmet had Agatha's ivory hair, but it was unusually straight and ended at the middle of her back. Her figure was lusciously curved, much like her mother's form. Her face was a bit slender than her brother's, with softer tones that were much easier on the eyes. Her father's eyes looked at her mate with concern now. They were both dressed in designer clothes that consisted of pants and shirts that were confiscated from various outlet stores.

"Did you know that we are currently being observed?" Alex frowned. "Something has been tailing us for quite some time."

"Oh. Yes, we knew," Geb sighed. "It's an infected human male. Harmless, really. If anything, he's been the one telling us where to find things with the hopes that we'll help him live. Sekhmet thinks of him as a pet. Much like a stray dog."

"I don't like it," Alex growled. "I want to see this human. Now."

"Oh," Sekhmet said with a slight touch of surprise. When she turned to where the human was hiding, he had already bolted. The drones were now on alert, and he was found within a few minutes. Two lesser drones of Kim and Aden appeared with him in their grasp.

"P-please...!" the man whimpered. "I just...I have nowhere else to go..."

"Hmm..." Alex thought. He glared hard at the man. "I don't fucking trust him."

"My King..." Sekhmet fretted. She really did see him as a pet.

"Humans are known to turn-coat on anything, if the opportunity comes up. Your father, as much as I hate his fucking guts, is an honorable man. He's stuck with us long enough to make you and your siblings. He promised your mother that he wouldn't snitch or go against her. He's stuck to his word. As for this guy, I don't recall this sorry fuck in any memories. We can't risk him coming home with us. We can't take the risk that he will try to back-stab us. We aren't ready for exposure. We let one homeless rat in, the rest will follow," Alex snorted.

"I used to be in the military!" the man said with a form of desperation. "They abandoned me here for dead! I got bitten, and I was forced to flee! They would have killed me!"

"What unit?" Alex asked now.

"Sixty-four, blue alpha squad. I had just flown in from Indiana, fresh out of the military school. I'm not even twenty-five! I can't go back to see my family. I'm sure they were given a notice that I was killed in action. All I was told was that I was going to assist with a clean-up sweep. Those massive creatures tore apart my entire squad! I was the best at evasive action and maneuvers. It's why I was picked to come here."

"How did you find out about them?" Alex asked now, as he gestured to Geb and his mate.

"I was...in the hospital. I was starving. I was looking for anything that I could to keep going. I found the tentacle place," he cringed. "I saw the eggs. Sekhmet was pregnant. When I tried to run, their kids caught me and brought me back. Geb was going to kill me. I promised that...that if he let me live, that I would help them in return."

"And he has," Geb nodded.

"Has he tried to fuck your sister?" Alex looked at him.

"No, my King. I would have killed him if he tried," Sekhmet nodded sternly. "All he has done was assist in finding new places for resources. There are also new Hunter lairs that he discovered to inform us."

"I see. I still don't trust you," Alex growled. "What is your name?"

"Steve Collins, Sir," the man said now.

"Does your father know about him? Or your mother?" he asked the breeders.

"Mother...doesn't know yet," Sekhmet admitted. "I was afraid that she would tell me to kill him. He has proved his usefulness."

"I still don't like it," Alex muttered. "He should just stay here."

"Please! I want to go with you!" Steve whimpered. "I would do whatever I could to help you! I vow this! I won't ever turn on you!"

"Fuck..." Alex sighed. He thought to his drones on the base and brought up the situation to Agatha and Robert. The Commander was clearly intrigued by this. Agatha wasn't too sure, but she brought up an idea to report to one of the drones for Alex to respond to. "Okay. Your mother says that he can come with us. On a condition."

"Oh," Sekhmet blinked. Agatha was now contacting her daughter with a rather stern thought. "Yes. He can be blindfolded to keep the location secret."

"Drones will be set around every single door. Empty room or not. The only room he will have access to is the one we assign him to stay in," Alex said sternly. "He can work with the animals to keep them cared for as a low-level job. He will be monitored at all times. Your father will want to have words with him first. I'm also sure that Ragland will want to evaluate him for a health check. Also, if you leave the base to travel elsewhere, you can't take him with you. It would be too risky. I'm sure you know this."

"Yes, my King," Geb nodded. Sekhmet winced at the thought of not being able to take her pet with her, but she understood the risk. _It simply wasn't safe._

"Steve," Alex said with a heavy glare at him. "You get one chance. Just one. You fuck it up, you're done. Killed on the spot, no chance to explain yourself or your actions. You go somewhere you're not supposed to, you're dead. You try to get in our way, you're dead. You try to expose us, you're dead. One. Fucking. Chance. Don't fuck it up."

"Yes, Sir!" Steve nodded vigorously. "I won't disappoint you, Sir!"

"Fine. Son of a bitch!" Alex seethed to himself. He wanted to kill the human. Shivering with a bit of self-control, he looked over at Sekhmet's gaze of relief. He knew she would defend the man, but only if he was innocent of what he was accused of.  _She would have a couple of her own drones around him constantly to ensure it._ "I have to get back to your mother. She'll be giving birth to more drones within in the next few hours. The cryo tube will be sent back for him. Have him blindfolded and ready for transport. I'm sure your father will be talking to him the moment he appears. That reminds me. Give me a sample of his blood. The system may take him as a threat, and the cryo tube needs it, too."

"Yes, my King," Geb nodded. He gestured for Steve to hold out his hand, and the blood was taken up on one of the glass slides procured from the hospital. Alex didn't want to taste the man's blood to find out anything. He had a drone do it for him, and the memories were gleaned. _So far, the man was honest about everything he said._ Alex snorted and turned to leave.

"Give him a bath, decent clothing, and proper grooming. If he's coming home with us, he may as well look like someone civilized," Alex ordered. "Let the drones do that."

"Thank you, my King," Sekhmet said softly.

"Thank your mother," Alex muttered. "If she said to kill him, I would have. Instantly."

"I know," she agreed. "But, thank you for giving him a chance."

"Remember. It's just one chance. He'd better not fuck it up."


	23. Chapter 23

Robert was curious about the former soldier. It was a given. He waited in the receiving area that the cryo tube would appear at. Apollo, Dionysus, and Hermes were with him. As much as they trusted their homecoming siblings, they had to show that they meant business when it came to seeing to an outsider. After Alex sent back the cryo tube, he had to go to the control room first to put in the man's DNA to register him. Then the cryo tube was sent back with his DNA. The second cryo tube was sent out shortly after, but the mated pair on the island agreed to wait until the human was secured. Then they would appear in the next run.

"Steve?" Robert asked, as the young man was removed from the cryo tube. Hermes sent back the tube to help get his brother and sister. When the ex-soldier looked around after the blindfold was removed, he gaped in recognition at the Commander. "You know who I am?"

"Yeah! You came to my high school for a public speech! It was the same time I was senior. Four years ago in Indiana. I was eighteen," Steve said. He looked much better now that he was cleaned up. His hair was a dark brown with a light shading of blond near the edges. His eyes were a dark green when viewed up close, and his muscular face was high-lighted with a chin cleft. His skin was neatly tanned from conditioned training in the sun. He resembled the usual fit, young recruit. He was about five foot, five inches tall. That was a standard height, too.

Steve studied the other breeders with a bit of shock at how good-looking they were. Dionysus had his princely charm, Hermes looked like he walked out of Manga romance novel, and Apollo could have been mistaken for a long-distance runner. But, it was Robert that showed an air of command. Just by looking at him and back to the others, it was clear that the Commander was their father.  _How could he have had so many kids? Didn't he say that he had no family at his speech before?_  It was odd to him, to say the least, but he kept quiet. He would get all of his answers in time.

"Interesting," the Commander mused. "And I remember that speech. It was over how drugs were illegal and had no place in the school. Boring as fuck, but I remember it. It was standard procedure for me to go to the usual school to help with possible recruitment."

"Father," Hermes frowned. "you know he's infected. Right? He could turn into one of the crazy fucks on the island at any time."

"I know. Can we tell how far the infection in him has progressed?" he asked.

"The doctor could," Dionysus said. "Where were you bitten, Steve?"

"My arm," he said, and he lifted up the shirt to reveal where a part of the muscle was gone. There was just enough there to help move his arm, and the tendon was still intact, luckily. Of course, he had no strength in it to lift things. "I was rounding a corner with the squad, and a crazy fucker came up and tore into me! I had no clue until it was on me."

"That's...a very nasty bite," Robert winced. "I can even see the bone."

"It doesn't hurt anymore. I kinda lost the sensation of pain a day later. I cauterized it with a blowtorch I found. It hurt like a motherfucker!" he sighed. "I had to do what I could."

"Wow," Hermes whistled. "That's one way to stop the bleeding, for sure."

"What's gonna happen to me?" the man frowned. "I mean...Sekhmet likes me. She wanted to keep me around. If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead. Geb managed to find some medicine for me, too, to keep the infection down. I owe them my life."

"That you do," Robert nodded. "However, on this station, Alex and Agatha rule the roost. You piss them off, you're dead. Like Alex said to you before you got here, you have one chance. He wanted you to start working on the farm we have here. Familiar with it?"

"Sir, I'm from Indiana. I was born and raised on a farm," Steve said with a roll of his eyes. "I'll be fine."

"Father, he should see the doctor. If he really wants to join us, he should get some of Mother's blood. It would cement it," Apollo said. "He can also be cured this way, and maybe even regenerate the lost muscle."

"Very true," Robert thought. He remembered how fast he recovered after three days of no food or water. "What does your mother think?"

"She thinks it may make his resolve stronger to work with us. He'll be heavily monitored, anyways. She doesn't want a possible infection to break out, even though it likely won't have an effect," Dionysus said. At this Robert nodded and gestured for Steve to follow them. When he walked into the lab, Ragland was ready with a shot of Agatha's blood. He took pictures of the bite wound before injecting the blood into him. He wanted to evaluate how fast the tissue grew back. Right before their eyes, the cells started to rebuild and reform.

"Amazing!" Ragland said with disbelief. "Look at how fast the muscle is reforming!"

"I can tell," Robert nodded. The skin seemed to stretch itself in slow motion, as it closed over the new muscle tissue without a single scar left behind. Steve was just in shock. He was no longer infected and completely whole again. He didn't even feel any pain when his arm rebuilt itself. With a couple test exercises, it was as though his arm was as normal as his other one.

"What does this mean?" Steve asked in a hushed whisper.

"You could be one of us," Dionysus smiled. "Anyways, lets introduce you to Mother. She just gave birth and wants to see you. Geb and Sekhmet are with her."

"Has it been an hour already?" Robert mused.

"It has. We were completely enthralled in watching a muscle grow back." Hermes grinned. He could have taken a completely dirty twist on it, but the thought was cut off in its tracks when Dana's sharp whimper slammed into his mind.  _I was away from her for too long._  "I'm going to tend to Dana. She really needs me right now."

"That's fine," Robert nodded.

"I will see to finding a suitable room for Steve," Apollo said. "Aphrodite is still developing our eggs. She is fine."

"Good," Robert nodded to him now.

"Are the breeders ready to form yet?" Ragland asked.

"Another hour," Dionysus said. "If that."

"All right. I have a room picked out for myself, and it's close to the lab. I have it quite habitable, but I'm not sure how it's going to work with my future wife," he sighed. "We can only see, right? Anyways, Steve, you need to meet with Agatha."

"Okay," the young man nodded. Robert began to escort him with Dionysus, and Alex walked over to them with a touch of amusement.

"Hello, shit for brains," Robert muttered.

"Fuck you, too, fuck head Fred," Alex smirked. Dionysus bit back a laugh, and Steve bit the inside of his cheek. Alex gave a mild glare at the young man, snorted, and turned to lead him through the meat locker. Steve blinked at the different types of frozen corpses that hung on the wall. He even paused in shock at the sight of an infected human carcass.

"She hasn't really eaten them. Yet," Robert smiled. "Keep moving."

"Right..." Steve swallowed. Agatha was able to stand and stretch in a toga to reveal herself properly. She turned to face him, and he was stunned at her beauty.

"Hello, Steve. I'm glad that my blood cured you. I am Agatha, also known as Project Hera. I was created over three years ago to be the bane to Alex. He's known to you as the Blacklight project, Project Zeus," she said softly. "All of the people here, save Dana, Doctor Ragland, Alex, and Robert, are my children. I have agreed to take you in, as my daughter, Sekhmet, has taken a liking to you. Don't undermine our trust. Don't take our word for granted. You have one chance to prove yourself at all times. Remember that."

"Yes, Ma'am," Steve nodded quickly.

"We may never fully trust you," she warned. "It's possible that we may be more neutral towards you. You simply need to earn your place with us. For now, do as we ask. Do what we say. Granted, you have been given some of my blood, but you need to keep focus, too."

"I understand," he agreed. "I won't let you down."

"I hope not," she nodded to him. "Sekhmet, if something happens and he's at fault, you will be held responsible. You wanted him here. You will answer for him."

"I understand, Mother," her daughter said with a sharp nod. They hugged with soft sighs escaping them and giggled as mother and daughter would.

"Geb, did you find a room?" Robert asked.

"Not yet, Father," he said. "I'll look now."

"Do you plan to stay or go to Australia?" Alex asked.

"I think that, if I can't take Steve with me, I would stay here," Sekhmet admitted. "If I am gone, and he does something wrong, I would not be able to properly find out what happened. Yes, my drones will be here, but I want to tend to him personally."

"Much like a dog shitting on the carpet. You would want to be the one to rub his nose in it instead of me. Only thing is that I wouldn't just rub his nose in it. I'd smack him around with a rolled up newspaper, too," Alex grinned. Steve sighed to himself. He hated being thought of as an animal, but he was dealing with something that saved his life. He had no way to fight back. He caught the Commander's eye and felt some form of odd relief. Something now told him that this was how Alex was to everyone else.

"Shut the fuck up, dear," Agatha growled in warning. "You will take all of your concerns to Sekhmet first. The human is her responsibility now. Not yours."

"Right," Alex said, and he slightly caved in.

"As it is, it's Robert's turn to fuck me. The new breeders will be hatching soon. Go check on them, as my stud male fucks me," she said with a tart edge in her tone. Alex growled, but he paused in silent acceptance when she hugged him tight. "I'll let you be with me the moment he's done. Okay? I did miss you."

"I missed you, too," he nodded back and hugged her. "Okay. Robert, hurry the fuck up. Steve, you come with me. You both come with me, too."

"Yes, my King," Geb nodded. Sekhmet gave a small smile at Steve to show he wasn't at fault for anything. She would be protecting him. As much as she wanted him to stay in her room, she knew he would want a form of privacy. She would ensure that his room was near hers. A drone would be stationed at his door to escort him wherever he had to go.

"I'll go check on Athena," Dionysus said wisely.

"You do that," Alex nodded. "Steve, I understand you're good at shoveling cow shit. That will be your main job for now. Come on."

"Yes, Sir," Steve nodded. Geb chuckled softly, and the young man knew that he would find his place with them. He had nowhere else to go, and he would make due.


	24. Chapter 24

When the new breeders were ready to hatch, Agatha was pregnant with the next breeder set. Steve had settled in rather nicely in the livestock section. He already knew what he had to do, as he was true to his word on living on a farm before. Ragland was waiting in the room, and he was rather speechless at the tall, exotic beauty his chosen mate had become.

"Hello, Brad," she blushed softly. She had dressed in a two-piece shorts and shirt outfit. She wasn't very curvaceous, but the doctor never really needed anyone like that. He wanted someone that could share his intellect. She could do that easily.

"Ah...hello..." he said with a slight blush. "Have you...um...chosen a name?"

"Yes. Since I appear to be almost Japanese in looks, I have chosen to go with the goddess name of Hariti. I hope you approve," she smiled warmly.

"I really like that. It fits you," he smiled. "Ah..."

"Ragland, take her back to your room and fuck her," Alex smirked. That got him rewarded with a glare, and Alex grinned back widely. Hariti gave him a bit of a startled blush, but she found herself grinning, too.

"My King, maybe it would be best for him to get to know me first?" she chuckled.

"Up to you," Alex shrugged. She had her black hair pinned up now to expose her graceful neck, and her steel-grey eyes seemed to compliment her figure. The eyes would never change for them. She was already making plans to see what Japanese style clothing she could make for herself. She hoped that a few of her brothers and sisters would settle in Japan to help her get some authentic ideas. The memories from John's old assistant did help, but only by so much. She was going to be experimenting with different hairstyles to compliment her features even further. She knew what her mate liked to see.

"So, you were into the Oriental chicks?" Robert chuckled.

"An old college sweetheart had me hooked until she had to leave for Japan. She was only at the college for one of those exchange programs. It was the best time I ever had. We were still good friends, but she got married," Ragland shrugged. "We lost touch after that. Oh...if you do see her, can you, well, spare her and her family?"

"We can arrange that," Alex nodded. "Just let us know what she looks like."

"I can help with that now," Hariti nodded. "Like Hermes and Dana, I can read Brad's mind easily. That's not a problem."

"But, I can't read yours," the doctor frowned. Then he gaped and said, "Okay. Scratch that. I can. Amazing!"

"Please don't run too many tests on me?" she frowned. At that, he gave her a warm smile, and she knew he likely wouldn't run any tests on her unless she gave the okay. That had her relieved. As she much as she wanted to know more about herself, sometimes it helped to let things remain a mystery, too.

"How is Dana developing?" Agatha asked. "It has been five days now. Hasn't it?"

"Almost. Did you want to see her before your belly grew more?" Alex asked.

"I would," she nodded. Robert was quick to get the door for her now. When she was pregnant with his children, Alex and Robert had to remain neutral around her. It was simply something they had to do at all times. As they walked down the hallway, they saw Steve walking over to them. It was clear that he completed his small task of shoveling cow shit.

"Done?" Alex grinned. "Work on the goats next."

"Already done," the young man said. "I tended the garden and harvested any fresh crop. I even planted new seeds. The stables are cleaned out and layered with fresh straw."

"Can you cook?" Robert asked.

"Some. Just enough," he nodded.

"If you don't burn anything, I'll have Kim teach you how to cook," Alex nodded. "Follow Aden. He'll take you to the kitchen."

"Okay," Steve nodded and followed the drone.

"You know," Agatha mused. "if he gets a breeder female, and she makes Queens, he would be forced to become a rather strong ally."

"True. Let's see what happens with Ragland's new girl first," Robert nodded.

"I did think about something," Agatha sighed. "If Queens and Kings are rarer than breeders, they may be only having one child per pregnancy. Instead of an egg, they would develop as an actual baby. Like I did. I would likely create the breeder males or females for them. I know that the one for Dana's baby is still in a stasis."

"Hmm," Alex blinked at her insight. "That...actually does make sense. Drones are the meat of the army and the easiest to find. Breeders would be next, as they could help make the drones, but no other viable breeders. Actual Kings and Queens that could make the breeders and drones would have to be  _exceptionally_  rare. Much rarer than breeders."

"So, Dana would become a breeding machine, but to one kid at a time," Robert thought.

"She's gonna be pissed, but, if you think about it," Alex smirked. "it took some time for her to become pregnant. She didn't get pregnant right away. It took a few days."

"Thus, the Kings and Queens are harder to find. They can't be made in bulk," Agatha nodded. "I honestly think that the sperm Ragland made for you didn't work. I think that my body instinctively gives out the specialized breeders when needed."

"Hmm. We'll see. When Ragland's female becomes pregnant, we'll with-hold making sperm for me. We can test your theory that way," Alex nodded. She nodded with him, and they approached the room that Dana and her mate were in.

"Mother!" Hermes grinned, as he answered the door. Letting her in, he nodded to Alex and Robert. "Dana! Mother is here with Father and my King."

"Nice," Dana muttered. She was clearly irritable. Her belly had started to swell with the quickening pregnancy. "Are you sure I'm only having one kid?"

"Yes," Alex said.

"Hermes told me what you all just talked about out there. At least I'll get a bit of a break. I guess," she frowned. "I really...don't want to be a breeding machine..."

"You won't be," Agatha smiled warmly. "Leave that little bit to me and the others. Luckily for you, you may be getting more breaks than me."

"If I can get a few days to myself, I'll be happy," she nodded. "What's going on with that new guy? Is he gonna snitch?"

"No. The army thinks he's dead. Osiris checked the files, and Steve was pulled up MIA. His status is now switched to Deceased. His family was already compensated. As much as he misses them, he knows he can't go back to them. He does have quite a few sisters, though," Alex mused. "But, we can't expose ourselves."

"I don't think he would want us to bring the rest of his family into this. He understands his boundaries. I don't think his family would," Agatha said bluntly. "He's showing us that he's loyal, but who knows what his family would convince him to do to encourage him if they were here? I don't need that."

"Right, right," Robert nodded.

"Maybe we should ask him?" Hermes asked now.

"I wanted to kill him when I saw him," Alex growled. "Sekhmet wouldn't let me. None of you would let me. No more fucking humans on this station."

"But, if they are bound to a breeder..." Hermes hinted.

"Still too risky," Alex said.

"How would the new Queens be able to create viable breeders, then? We would have to find stud males for them, wouldn't we?" Agatha frowned.

"There's plenty of guys out there that would do it," Dana shrugged. "The only problem is that they want to brag."

"I won't have just any male be with the other Queens," Agatha grumbled. "Robert is a prized stud to me. Peak of his prime. Best of the best. His sessions with me have produced extremely intelligent breeders. He knows his way in the world, and that knowledge is greatly needed for them, too. That is what I'm looking for in a stud male. I don't want someone that would lounge around and expect things to happen. I want men that have proved themselves."

"Why do I feel like I'm a piece of meat being inspected?" Robert winced.

"You could think of yourself as a purebred dog that's well-trained," Alex grinned.

"Fuck you and your mother, too!" Robert snapped.

"I don't have a mother. Actually, in the viral sense, I did, but I killed her. Your loss," he grinned again. "You can say hi and go fuck yourself."

"Boys..." Agatha warned.

"He started it..." Robert frowned.

"And I'm finishing it," she said with a mild glare.

"Well, if you want viable stud males, I have an idea," Hermes grinned wickedly.

"Oh? I'll hear it," Alex nodded.

"We can have Osiris start up a military program," the breeder male said. "A short bit of questions and answers followed up with a physical training regime. The ones that score the highest will become the breeder studs. However, only those with practically no family present will be viable. Those are the ones with nothing to lose. They have no one else. Granted, Steve has a massive family, but they all think he's dead."

"I think I know what the training ground would be..." Alex said with a nasty grin.

"Alex...you scare me," Dana cringed, and Hermes chuckled as he put an arm around her.

"What's your idea?" Robert asked. Agatha was now paying careful attention.

"The island is the training ground. The few left standing will have no willpower left. We save their lives, like we did with Steve. They will feel that they 'owe' us again. However, we will need to get another breeder pair to live on the island. They can set up their own nursery to take down without me. If they want to come back here, we can swap them out in monthly shifts. The one or two men left in the squad will be 'found' by the breeders. They will gain the trust of these men, much like Steve being the stray dog," Alex said slowly to make sure they all understood where he was going. Robert found himself completely amused.

"But, how do we know that they won't turn-coat?" Agatha frowned.

"They will live on the island for a couple weeks with the breeders. They will help them attack other military exercise units," Alex said. "If they can attack their own, then we will know. If they can't, we dispose of them. That is how we will know. I will also interrogate them like I did with Steve. He showed desperation to me. A want to live. That is how I know they won't turn-coat. The moment I sense hesitation, I'll kill the human off. Hesitation is weakness to me."

"Very interesting," Robert mused. "As much as my old military side would say you're a fucking quack and a psychopathic ass fuck of a man, I want to see how it would go. And, with Osiris having the ability to set up this 'special operation' with John's connections..."

"Let's try one round," Agatha nodded. "As it is, I'm starving! Dana, would you like to join me for lunch? We'll have swordfish steaks with a side of ham and elk."

"Love to!" Dana grinned.

"And I'll have Alex cook for us personally," she beamed.

"Seriously?!" Alex asked with disbelief.

"I know you can have the drones cook, but I always loved your cooking," Agatha smiled warmly at her mate. He gave in with a sigh and a small nod. Then he mused at an idea.

"As long as Robert cooks with me so that I can teach him what to do if something goes wrong," he smirked. Hermes started laughing, and Robert gaped at him with shock. On glaring at Hermes, he got the perfect payback idea.

"Fine. But, Hermes cooks with us," Robert nodded. Now it was Hermes's turn to stare at his father with disbelief, and they all died laughing.


	25. Chapter 25

Nothing took place until a day later. The connections Osiris had were extensive, and, because John's reputation preceded him, his orders were not questioned. They were actually embraced with the idea that the world's top soldiers would have their teeth cut on the island. As much as other military officials were questioning the reasons, Osiris was able to stress how much more valuable that soldier would be if they survived a single week on the island. Even two weeks, if needed. Promotions were offered, as well as compensations for any losses. They agreed to send out one test group compromising of their best men. They couldn't risk S.W.A.T going in, but only the finest that each military school had to currently offer.

It was five in the morning EST when the group of ten soldiers were called into the small room. All of them were the best of the best in their military training. They passed the questionnaires with flying colors, and all of them were practically orphans with no families to speak of. A drone with a genetic copy of Commander John walked into the room to evaluate them silently. Another drone with a genetic copy of his assistant was right next to him. It was important to let them consume clones that were constructed. The breeders with the original forms couldn't be under any form of threat. The drone with the Commander's body was one of Alex's drones. The drone with the assistant was from Agatha's side.

"I understand," the Commander drone said calmly. "that the ten of you were recommended by your Drill Sergeants and their peers. I also understand that all of you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. I'm going to ask all of you one question. Answer honestly. If you had the choice to kill your fellow man in order to survive, would you do it?"

Only three of the ten men nodded. The other seven were caught by surprise at the question. The assistant drone pulled up the files that were carried in a small briefcase that had the identities of the three men. They would be studied while on the island.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect," a blond-haired, brown-eyed soldier said. "But...why would you ask us such a question?"

"A good question. Soldier, do you know where your training is going to take place?" the Commander drone asked now. When they all shook their heads, a map was now lit up on the back wall. At the point of the quarantined Blacklight Virus island, many of them started to shake with a form of intense fear. "You all have a right to be afraid and nervous. However. If you can survive for at least two weeks on that island, you will truly be the best of the best. Also, I asked the question, because, if one of you becomes infected, you may have no choice when it comes to killing each other. When they say 'survival of the fittest' they really mean it."

There was only one man in the room that caught the assistant's eye. The Commander drone tapped into the hive link to glance at the man casually. He appeared to be of Hispanic descent with the typical military style haircut. His hair was a dark, rich brown at one point. His eyes were the same color. He didn't appear very buff, but he did appear to be extremely dexterous. He also looked like a fighter.  _As though he would do whatever it took to live._

The Commander drone could already tell that several men were going to see about opting out. The only problem was that they signed a contract. If they opted out, they would be discharged from the military with no honors. Their names would be tarnished. Several drones would be ready to kill them off the moment they tried to flee somewhere. The hive collective would not tolerate anyone knowing of what was going on.

"Sir," the assistant drone said. "the plane leaving for the island will be ready in twenty minutes. I was just informed."

"Good," the Commander drone nodded. The iPhone the assistant drone used was just for show. It wasn't even connected to any form of internet or even activated. There was no need for it. Practically the entire air force, save a few of the more notable soldiers and engineers, were already taken over as drones. The only soldiers spared were the ones that had families. All the Commander drone had to do was call a small group into the main office, have other drones ready in ambush and they had their new recruits. It was easier than anyone knew. "You are all dismissed to get ready for transport. However, the three that agreed to my question earlier. Please remain. As for the rest of you, I expect to see all of you at the landing pad at the designated time. You may go."

After the seven men left, the Commander drone looked at the three men that remained. A dark-skinned soldier with a rather buff physique, the Hispanic soldier, and a rather buff white soldier were left. The drone studied the first soldier with a bit of scrutiny. He was much like Ragland with black hair and eyes, and he was exceptionally tall. Almost six foot, from what the drone could judge. The white soldier was judged next, and he had red hair with dark green eyes. A bit of freckles coated over his skin, but he looked like he could easily hold his own. However, it was the Hispanic that the drone was betting on that would be the sole survivor. The hive would be testing this one to his limits.

"Would you like me to do anything, Sir?" the assistant drone asked.

"Take notes," the Commander drone said gruffly. "First thing's first. Your names, soldiers? Starting with you on the left."

"I'm Karl Higgins, Sir," the white soldier nodded.

"Carlos Sanchez, Sir," the Hispanic soldier said.

"Jeremiah Bartley, Sir," the dark-skinned soldier said with a stern ring.

"Good. You all know me as Commander John Murlow. The three of you were asked to stay, because you all agreed to possibly killing your fellow man. Tell me. Do you know what to expect on this island? Do any of you have an idea?"

"Any that go there end up dead," Jeremiah said. "It's just like you said, Sir. If we come back, it shows that we have what it takes."

"Survival of the fittest has to be the main rule," Carlos said. "I've lived on the streets my whole life. I know what I have to do to survive."

"No pain, no gain," Karl shrugged. "What more is there to say? I have nothing to go back to. If I die, it's for my country, anyways."

"Ah. But...what would you do if you were forced to ally with the enemy to survive? To turn-coat against your country?" the Commander drone now asked.

"Kill me first," Jeremiah snorted.

"Same," Carlos nodded.

"I may be on my own, but I'm not stupid!" Karl growled.

"Good. Remember what you just answered today. I'm only saying this now, because there is a chance...a good chance...that you may change your mind. And, if you do, there is no turning back," the Commander drone warned. It had to make it sound like it was serious. As much as it wanted them into the fold, it had to play the rules of being against the idea. "The Blacklight Virus, Project Zeus, is currently at large. We don't know where it is. We don't know what it plans. The last group we sent there was eradicated. We lost all contact. The last known contact we had was at the major hospital on the upper east side. So, since you all are on such good standing with the situation, I am giving you three a personal mission. From me. Go to the hospital. Find out what happened. Get out alive. If you perish, you will be remembered. If you survive, I'll make you three a part of my personal team."

"Yes, Sir!" the three men said at once. They all wanted the chance to prove themselves now.  _Either they live or die trying._

"Dismissed," the Commander drone nodded. "Join the others on the landing pad."

Right after they left, the drone soldiers watched them carefully. Several scouts were camouflaged and standing in the rooms the chosen soldiers were staying in. They were there to act as the eyes of the hive, like they were bred to be. Alex was perplexed, though.  _I want one of the soldiers to antagonize the other soldiers into their change of heart. One soldier of each group would need to be taken over._ He now knew the perfect one to do the job. The blond-haired soldier that questioned the Commander drone in the conference room was now a newly recruited drone. It was easy to do when he was caught taking a shit. Humans were easy to grab when they were distracted with every day functions.


	26. Chapter 26

When everything was underway, and the group of nine soldiers with the new drone was in the air, island preparations were being done. Hunters were being lured into areas that would be easy to help in an ambush. The same was done with any infected human packs. They were going to turn the area surrounding where the plane was set to drop off the group into a warzone.

A new breeder couple was now in the hospital with a tentacle nursery in place. Agatha did want her children to have access to other meats, so the hospital freezer was stocked with frozen fish, beef, and chicken. Hunter meat was also freely available, but she knew her kids liked the variety. She was the same way.

"They settled in?" Alex asked, as he rubbed Agatha's growing belly. She was now pregnant with their drones. She nodded and snuggled into him with contentment.

"They have been settled. Zeus, how long has it been since we've been together?" she asked. "It's only been about two months. Right?"

"About that long," he agreed. "Why do you ask, Hera?"

"Just...amazed at how much has progressed. But...I do think it would be funny," she giggled. "if, on the three month mark, we start to expose ourselves."

"No," Alex said with a sharp shake of his head. "We can't. We still need to get our offspring overseas. Once they start to settle out there and have a foothold would be the time to do just that. There are a lot of areas we need to take control of. Quite a bit can be accessed all across Europe, you know. Even in the Asian continents. There is a lot of unclaimed territory. Japan is one major area that we do need to get to. Ah...speaking of Japan...interesting..."

"So, Lynette's brother did call on her. He plans to visit next week? That's rather soon, isn't it?" Agatha frowned. "Who wanted to go to Japan?"

"Demeter and Hephaestus did. They will likely be waiting for that guy to make an appearance. Did they settle in with Osiris and Isis?"

"They did. They already have drones infiltrating in different cities near them, too. I didn't know how big Massachusetts was! Oh, there should be a shipment of funds and more meat products heading to Robert's home soon. The drones are starting to take over the Postal Service in various areas."

"I know it," Alex nodded. "We can get stuff shipped to us freely the more we advance through the ranks of human society. It's incredibly easy. No challenge at all. It's kinda pathetic. But, if it helps us get our goals faster, then fuck it. I'll take it."

"Same," she nodded. Her belly swelled slowly, and he rubbed a hand over it. "What will you do if any of those soldiers reach the hospital?"

"I'll have Hermanubis and Sigyn start to send out their scouting parties. They actually found quite a few stray animals. Not humans, but true animals. Sigyn has decided that she likes cats. They would work well for her, considering that they are a part of Egyptian cultures."

"I do wonder if animals could become something we could use," Agatha mused.

"Hmm. It's possible. I do remember that, when I stopped a bomb from exploding the island, I was able to reform from a bird. I can't really change into it, but they could be used as an emergency form of direct DNA reconstruction. I don't want any mangy mutts or strays on the station, though. We already have Steve and Robert. Ouch!" he winced at the poke to his gut she gave him. "Okay, fine. Robert is a purebred mutt."

"Stop it!" she growled. "Granted, I refer to him as my stud male, but he's still  _my_  stud male! Hmm. I wonder if Steve could become a stud male. Not for me, obviously. But, maybe for one of the new Queens. We know he's loyal. He has a good build on him, too."

"Hmm..." Alex mused. "He is behaving. Okay. Robert is going to talk to him now."

"Good. Now give me something to eat," she grinned. He kissed her, muttered in her ear to make her blush hard, and left to get her a large slice of Hunter steak. In the agricultural part of the base, Robert was moving over to where Steve had made his quarters. He chose to live in the room right next to where the easiest place would be to tend to the animals. At the knock on the door, Robert was nodded to and let in.

"I have something I want to discuss with you. If you have the time," Robert smiled.

"Plenty now. What's up, Sir?" the young man asked.

"Nah, no more formalities. We aren't a part of the army anymore. Just call me Robert, okay? Alex can just...yeah. He can fuck off. Anyways," Robert chuckled. "I came here to ask if you would be interested in possibly helping create a new family line."

"What?!" Steve blinked with a touch of surprise.

"Agatha can't create the breeders needed unless I help her. The breeders can only create drones. However, a possible Queen, another like Agatha, in this sense, may be born in a few days. In eighteen days, she will be grown up and able to make drones and breeders of her own. I'm not going to help with that. So, if you want to help that future Queen make breeders and her eventual mate makes the drones..."

"Wait...wait..." Steve said, and he shook his head. "I don't get it."

"I'll try to explain it to you," Robert nodded. For thirty minutes, he slowly went over everything. Steve was surprised that he was being offered such a formal spot in their army.

"It's a lot to think about," he admitted.

"It is. It's either that, or you could become betrothed to a female of your own with no chance to share her. Much like how Ragland is with Hariti, and how Dana is with Hermes. You will have the ability to help create new Queens and Kings. But, if you choose to be a stud like me, you will be given the ability to make a vast family of your own. It would happen with a female offered to you, but it would be much faster as a stud. Yes, granted, at first I was against it, too. But, after learning of how the military government was ready to kick me out, I don't care. I love my kids. All of them. All of the kids from me are less than two months old, too."

"What?!" Steve gaped.

"Yes. They grow fast. And they learn from what you know. They have the ability to talk telepathically. Your wife would be able to talk to them. You can also mentally talk to your wife, too. Not sure about the kids, though. We'll have to see. It's up to you."

"But...this is how I would fully earn my keep, huh?" Steve frowned. "Would I be on a more even level with everyone?"

"Definitely! If you help contribute to the growing army, we will definitely see you as an ally. Your future wife would protect you, as well as Sekhmet. Granted, Alex will always see us as his lesser peers, but he's like the asshole brother you never want to be around. Or to have. He's just someone that...no matter what you want, he's not leaving."

"Okay. Nosy neighbor or relative. Got it," Steve nodded, and Robert started to laugh at that. "I can deal with that. I already gave my promise that I wouldn't go against you guys. You all saved my life. I owe everyone here. And, if I get the chance to have a girl of my own...I gotta take it. What do I have to do?"

"Well, do you want to be a stud breeder, or someone to help create Queens and Kings?" Robert asked. "If you become a stud, you share the girl with her destined mate. Alex and I take turns with Agatha. He makes drones, and, the moment she's cleared of those eggs, I help make the breeders. We formed a truce that way."

"I never really liked to be part of a triangle," Steve admitted. "I'd like to see if I can get a girl to myself. I think that would be best for me."

"We'll see what happens. As for right now, you may be considered as a stud. Like me. But, things can change. I'll let Alex know of your decision. Just keep doing what you're doing," Robert nodded. They shook hands, and the older man left the room to leave the younger one in his own thoughts. Hermes came over to approach his father with a perplexed look.

"Father, I don't want him to be a stud for my daughter," Hermes said. "I don't think he should be one to create Queens and Kings, either. He should be a stud, but not to my kid. He's not good enough for me."

"I beg your pardon?" Robert asked now with a raised brow. "What does your mother think? It will be her choice in the end, you know."

"I already talked with Mother," Hermes said. "She agrees with me. Maybe one of Ragland's daughters will take Steve up. I don't want him to touch any of my daughters. I haven't seen him fight. He can survive, but I don't know how he can hold himself in a real fight. I've been inspecting the soldiers that will be tested on the island with the help of the drones. One of them may work for me. Not Steve."

"Why not?" Steve asked, as he walked over now. He heard them talking just outside his room, and now he had to defend himself. "I made top marks in my last training session! I was picked to be a part of that fucking squad before I almost got my ass handed to me! They told us  _nothing_  of what to expect! I was only told to look sharp and keep my weapon loaded and ready! I had no idea what was going on until I was the only one left standing."

"Steve," Hermes sighed. "there is another reason I don't want you around my daughters. They will all be Queens. You don't want to be a stud, anyways. Right? You want to help create more Queens. Not breeders or drones."

"Oh..." Steve frowned in thought.

"I'm not doubting your military prowess at all. I know you can survive. That's not the issue. Every daughter I make, Mother will be making a King for. That's how it seems to be working. I don't think that Ragland can make Kings or Queens for my sons or daughters, either. They would have to come from Mother. She is an Empress. Above the Queens," Hermes explained. Now Robert looked at him with complete amusement.

"An Empress. That makes a lot more sense! And Alex would be an Emperor, then. But, he can't make the Kings. Would that make me the Emperor?" Robert mused now.

"Fuck you! I am King and Emperor!" Alex seethed, as he rushed at him. One of his drones caught the whole conversation for him. "You are a fucking stud! That's it! It's all you'll ever be! Don't even  _think_  for a fucking second that you're anything more than that!"

"My King! Please stop!" Hermes said, as he quickly stepped in front of his father. Alex growled, and he came to a dead stop in front of the breeder male. "Father is considered the main stud to Mother. That's all. There is no need to hurt him."

"My King..." Athena whispered from where she was with Dionysus. She was heavily pregnant, but she had to be there to help with her brothers. "Mother cares about all of us. If not for us, then think of her. Father will never be up to you in standards, my King. But...he's still my Father. Our Father. He is the main root of our existence."

"Without him, we wouldn't be able to help you, my King," Apollo said when he walked over. Aphrodite looked very worried, as he supported her. Alex seemed to grimace. Then he groaned when he heard Agatha's angry muttering getting closer.

"Robert! Alex! Front and center!" she growled out. "NOW!"

"Say nothing," Hermes muttered to Steve. The young man nodded slightly.

"Agatha..." Alex sighed.

"No. You promised me you wouldn't do this, and I don't care if the promise was made to only be around me. I care about Robert. I love you, Alex. I told you this before. And, if it wasn't for Robert, we wouldn't be where we are today!" she frowned. "Apologize to him. Now. And I want you to mean it."

"Can I still tell him to fuck off?" Alex muttered.

"That's fine. Just don't go trying to kill him," Agatha said sternly. "And, Robert, you apologize to him, too. Granted, he tricked you into being here, but, if it wasn't for me, he would have killed you. So I want the two of you to apologize to each other and shake hands."

"Fucker," Robert mumbled.

"Son of a flying fuck," Alex mumbled back. "Sorry."

"Sorry," Robert nodded. They shook hands to appease her and the breeders around them.

"Now, both of you come back to the bedroom with me. We all need to have a talk," she sighed. Robert looked at her with surprise.

"The handshake wasn't enough?" Alex asked.

"That was to help calm me down and make the kids happy. Bedroom. You two with me. Let's go," she said again. Her belly was swelling even more from the drones. Now Alex realized why she wanted them to head into the bedroom with her. He was quick to scoop her off her feet and carry her away.

"Better not keep her waiting, Father," Hermes sighed.

"Right," he nodded. The other two breeder couples gave him their tight hugs of relief before retiring to their chambers. "Steve, what you just witnessed was Agatha getting mad. Don't get her livid. Ever. Go back to your chores. We'll talk about you a bit more later."

"Okay. Good luck," Steve smiled.

"Thanks," Robert sighed. Hermes gave his father a hug and went back to Dana. Geb and Sekhmet would have been there, but they were tending to a new delivery of drones. Robert easily felt their relief, and he stopped by their room to hug each of them. After that, it was to help Alex keep Agatha calm until the drones were birthed. They had to work together neutrally to show that there was no more malice between. Their truce was fully called back into effect. They planned to make it far more permanent.


	27. Chapter 27

When the group of soldiers was dropped off by parachute to the island, it was the drone that sent the signal to show where they were. Traps were set, and Hunters were left in a confused daze when their supposed prey of drones went missing. When the infected humans encountered the Hunters, it was survival of the fittest. Of course, the Hunters won. Any infected humans left standing went into hiding. The drones didn't care.

"Where are we?" Jeremiah asked.

"Not sure," one of the recruits with him frowned. He narrowed his light green eyes and brought out a digital map from the portable satellite laptop he carried. "Ah! We're here. Where should we set up base?"

"We got landed on the south side?" Carlos frowned. "If we can make our way north-east, I think there's an abandoned hospital there. I studied the map on the wall."

"Think we can make it?" Karl asked.

"If we go stealth, it's possible," Carlos nodded. "Look..."

He was able to arrange the map into a 3D view of the city. He found a distinct path on the main street with plenty of alleyways to cut through. With the road planned out, it was set. The drone with them seemed to nod. The information was sent to the hive. New traps were now being set up. It was time to move.

As the six men started to move off, the drone grabbed the attention of the three that were spoken to in private with a small cough. Carlos looked at the drone with a frown.

"Dude, what's up?" Karl asked.

"I don't think we should follow them," the drone said with a small frown. "I think they'll kill us. Yeah, I asked Commander Murlow why he would want us to kill our countrymen. But...if it's to survive here..."

"We should all stick together as a group," Jeremiah said. "We can't be suspicious, and it would be a better chance for survival."

"We can't go with them," the drone sighed. "Carlos, the map you pulled up was good, but it's not plausible. While we were still on the base, I overheard a nasty rumor. I saw some files, too, to confirm it. I didn't know whether or not to bring it up, but because you guys were talked to by the Commander, and I was told to leave, I figured it was important. Secret mission, right? Because he likes you guys? Well, to be fair, I gotta at least let you guys know. If you let me in on what you have to do, I'll tell you what I know. Is that cool?"

"Hmm," Karl frowned.

"Well, if you know something..." Jeremiah grimaced.

"Fine. We need to get to the hospital to find out what happened with the last group. Now, what do you know?" Carlos asked.

"Hunters and infected humans are no longer our only worry," the drone said.

"What?" Carlos asked with disbelief.

"There is something else here," the drone growled. "Something...stronger. I think. Smarter, too. I kinda think that we're being watched. And it's not the Blacklight Virus."

"Fuck!" Jeremiah hissed. "We gotta get the other guys! We have to warn them!"

"I think they're already dead," the drone said softly. Now the three soldiers looked at the drone with shock. The four of them moved off to follow where the others went, and they stopped dead in their tracks. The Hunters easily made short work of them. The drone shoved the three soldiers back against the wall.

"How...do you know this...?!" Carlos asked now.

"Like I said," the drone hissed. "I saw confidential files. It was how I passed the exams, too. I knew all the answers. It's how I got to where I am today. The hospital is well-fortified. I know the best way to go. If you all stick with me, I can get us there."

"You did keep us from getting killed..." Karl winced when he heard a bone getting crunched. He actually felt sick.

"Keep it together, man!" Jeremiah growled. "We never got your name."

"It's Mark, for what it's worth," the drone shrugged. It scratched at the blond hair and gestured for the humans to follow. Thanks to the hive mind, the other drones stayed out of sight and kept the three chosen humans from being attacked. Progress was slow to the hospital, though, since the drone had to force them to 'play safe' to keep to the act. It took two hours of scoping, sneaking across sections of buildings, and calling clear before the hospital came into sight. Now the drone moved behind them to provide a form of back-up, as the three men went into the double doors. The elevators were broken in, so the stairs had to be used.

"This place gives me the creeps..." Karl whispered. Lights were flickering off and on from weak light bulbs. They tried to step quietly, but their softest steps echoed along the empty stairway of metal and concrete. Even their breath was too loud despite their attempts to control it. They honestly didn't know what they were looking for.

"Where can we go?" Jeremiah whispered out in a scarce breath.

"Not sure," Carlos responded in his own soft tone. "Only way out is up. Who knows what followed us in here!"

"Keep moving," the drone hissed out in its own whisper. "Most important buildings have their stuff at the top, right?"

"True," Karl nodded. The small group kept going. When Karl thought about turning back, another drone made a noise down below to show that they were being followed. They had no choice now. They had to move faster. When they finally reached the last floor at the top of the hospital, they opened the door in front of them. The tentacle nursery was here. The drone was forced to pause with a false sense of shock with the others.

"We gotta blow up this room!" Jeremiah finally said. "This whole fucking building!"

"No," the drone smirked, and its voice changed to its more monotone one. Now the form was dropped to reveal its short, black hair and sharp, black eyes. The scout revealed itself at last. "The three of you were expected. I had to help keep you safe. I kept my word to you all."

"What the fuck?!" Karl gaped.

"I..." Carlos found himself frozen with fear. He couldn't believe how easily he was tricked. Even Jeremiah was in a complete state of shock. Then they looked over to find a rather beautiful, curvaceous, pale-haired woman with pastel blue eyes looking at them with amusement. She was in a rather loose dress to help with her pregnancies. The young man she was with was just as beautiful, yet he was stern with a noble, commanding air with his steel-grey eyes and bound back, pale blond hair. The tight, black leather shirt and pants he wore fit him neatly to show off his perfect physique. He was grinning with amusement. He had Robert's personality of enjoying the hunt, and he was likely going to want to stay on the island permanently. As much as he wanted to hunt them down himself, he knew the drones needed to do it for him.

"Hermanubis," the woman chuckled. "our guests are here. Do we tell our King?"

"He already knows," the man nodded. "The three of you were spared to have a chat with us. If you fight us, you will die. Shall we be reasonable? Or do we have to restrain you?"

"I'll fucking kill you!" Jeremiah shouted. Hermanubis sighed, stretched out an arm, and let his viral flesh coat over the three humans to plaster them to a wall. It was exactly what Alex did to Robert when he had to restrain him.

"At least it won't take three days like what happened to Father," the woman giggled.

"Very true, Sigyn. Is our King on his way here now?" Hermanubis asked the drone.

"He will be here before the day is out. My Queen is giving birth to more eggs. When she has the next breeder batch, he will come by," the drone nodded.

"Good! I'm pregnant again, though. I may be too heavy to move later," Sigyn sighed.

"Don't worry, sister love. You know I'll take care of you," her brother smiled and kissed her. At the horrified gazes of disgust from the men on the wall, they were now casually ignored. "Are you hungry? We can let you try some fresh slabs of human. Some was salvaged."

"No. I'll stick to some of the elk that Mother sent. I want that," she beamed. He nodded with a warm smile, and the drone had already left to get her what she wanted. Now the three men went into shock again at how many drones appeared to be in the room. There had to be at least a hundred of them! Maybe even more!

"The drone scout is a bit incorrect on your fear. Our King, Project Zeus, is every bit as powerful than any could ever imagine. When he comes here, he may think about recruiting you," Hermanubis smirked. "That Commander you talked to? The one who told you to be here. You know him! He's one of us, too. The three of you were selected to possibly help us build our army. We need prized studs like yourselves. You have no families. You could join ours."

"Fuck you!" Jeremiah spat.

"Oh, that won't happen with me," the breeder male chuckled. "Maybe another."

"No...it can't end like this..." Karl whimpered.

"It doesn't have to end," Sigyn said softly. "We need you alive."

"But...our country..." Carlos fretted.

"Don't you pussies give in!" Jeremiah screamed at them.

"Look at them! Do you think we can fight them all off?!" Karl snapped. "We're likely gonna die if we refuse! And...if the army set us up..."

"Who do we trust anymore?" Carlos asked softly. Now Jeremiah scowled and shivered. The breeders now planted the seed of thought to join them. They were going to help it grow until Alex got there. It was all they could do to pass the time.


	28. Chapter 28

Alex wanted them to wait two weeks before he visited, but he had to agree with the reports from his drones.  _When humans are cornered, they were easy to break. These were young men, too. They weren't hardened like Robert was._ He was very pleased at how fast the trap was sprung, though. _The three men didn't suspect a single thing. Like animals to the slaughter, they were easily led straight to the trap._

"I want to meet with them," Robert said. "Let me go."

"Why?" Alex frowned. Agatha was tucking into a large steak, and she looked at him with a frown. She clearly wasn't sure on what to think of this.

"If they see me, I know they'll join us," Robert said. "I'll tell them of how the military fucked me over. I can convince them."

"I don't want you to go," Agatha said softly. "I really don't."

"Why?" Robert asked now.

"Because the kids don't want you to go, either," she said softly. "The island is not safe for you. Granted, you'll have drones to protect you, but Alex knows how to handle himself there. You don't. Please stay here, Robert. If one thing goes wrong, I just...I don't want to think about that. It was risky enough to let you collect your things. I'm almost tempted to not have Alex go, either. We can send the men here through the cryo tubes. We can keep them trapped. Hell, we can even design a room to look like the hospital, can't we?"

"Agatha?" Alex frowned.

"I just...have this urge to keep you both here with me. Maybe it's because of the new Queens and Kings being created. I'm not sure. It's just...something ingrained in me..." she winced. "It's hard to explain."

"I'm sure it can be easy to create a duplicate holding room," Alex nodded.

"Geb can help with that," Robert nodded. "Couldn't he?"

"He can," Agatha smiled. "And he has an idea on future names."

"Oh?" Alex smiled back.

"The Norse gods and goddesses weren't used yet," she winked. "I think it would be rather intriguing if different Queen and King branches chose various names to go off of. Of course, Egyptian status and Greek to Roman names are for us, any extras could be free for any."

"I know a few lists I could dig up," Robert nodded. "We can work on that. As for a room, what do you have in mind?"

"I say we starve them first," Alex said.

"Like with me?" Robert sighed.

"You were offered food and drink. You declined," Agatha smirked.

"Okay. You're right. I fucked myself up," he nodded.

"That you did," Alex nodded to him. "Then there's Steve. Hmm. Hermes didn't want him to make Queens or Kings. He wants him to be a breeding stud. Steve doesn't want to do that. Agatha? What do you think?"

"Bring him in here. Let's find out once and for all," she nodded. "If all Hermes is grumbling about is not seeing him fight, we can put him through some exercises here, right?"

"That we can," Robert mused.

"Steve's on his way," Alex nodded. They helped her sit up a bit more, and she blinked when several drones appeared with silk and satin furnishings. If Agatha was now their Empress, they had all silently agreed to surprise her. Alex had given the okay to do this. When the new Italian-furnished tables and chairs came in, her jaw dropped with sheer delight and surprise. Even Dana's room and Ragland's room were going to be upgraded, but not as elegantly or done up.

"What's all this?" Robert grinned.

"Since our Queen is now our Empress, she will be treated as such," Kim nodded with a show of reverence. "We will shower her with wealth and riches."

"This is not necessary!" Agatha said with a frown.

"Yes, it is," Alex nodded and pulled her from the bed. The mattress was now switched out to a softer, more luxurious one of a tempurpedic brand. The light, airy material would make it much easier for her to work with and rest in. The breeders were getting this upgrade, too. Intricate paintings were now set on the walls, gauzy curtains were hung over the new bedposts, and thick, plush Persian rugs were settled all over the floors.

A small treasure box was brought in filled with various diamond rings, earrings, bracelets, and other jewelries and treasures for her to delight herself with. A bookshelf was brought in next and set up with a rather small, yet elaborate library. All of this was being hoarded up in secret. Another surprise for her was what Bastet had insisted on sending over from the casino. Large, ultra soft and fluffy white robes with slippers were now set up. Even the most exquisite of shampoos and soaps were now in the bathrooms. Ultra plush towels were now replacing the ordinary ones, and the old ones would be used in basic bathrooms or used for every day needs.

"That's over-doing it," Alex smirked. "But, they did insist."

"Wow..." Steve said, as he saw the newly overdone room furnishings.

"I don't think this room can take anymore," Robert grinned at the new vanity being set up with a complete stock of makeup, drawers, and mirrors. The small treasure box was now placed on it with a show of pride.

"Well, I must admit, the bed is a vast improvement," she smiled and lay back on the softer mattress with relief. It was actually starting to make her drowsy, but she forced herself awake for a bit longer. "Steve, please sit down. We need to figure out what we can do with you. I understand that you don't want to become a stud. I also understand that you would like to help with Queens and Kings in creating them. All has been explained to you?"

"Ah, yeah," he nodded, as he sat down on a plush chair. Alex was sitting on the bed, but behind his mate to support her. Robert was sitting in another chair to listen. "I was in a triangle before. I didn't like it. I know I'll get pissed off."

"True," Alex mused. He recalled the memories he had gleaned from the drone that got the blood from the man. "You are correct there. However, we need to figure out how intelligent you are. There are training modules here that can help us with that. One of Robert's kids can show them to you. Also...you may not be the only other one here soon."

"What?" Steve blinked. Very slowly, they told him of the other three soldiers. On thinking about it, he grimaced. "There was no need to trick them!"

"Had to be done," Alex shrugged. "We won't accept just any humans into the fold. They have to prove themselves."

"But, I survived!" Steve argued. "Granted, Sekhmet saved my life. Geb saved my life. I went through everything by myself! The men you picked were tricked into joining you. Whether they had families or not. If this was the only time it was done, then fine. I would have gone to doing another raid on the island. Let them tough it out for a week. Pick off the weak ones. Take in the survivors. Hell, if you have to, make sure they don't have families to go back to. But, for those three...fuck. I'll only accept them, because of what they were forced to endure. Next time, don't do that. Send in a raid, like I was sent in."

"You actually make a lot of sense," Robert said with a blink.

"Bring in Hermes," Alex said. Agatha thought to her son and watched him walk in.

"Steve, I'm sorry for doubting you," the breeder male said the moment he walked in. "Just by you telling them this, you could be worthy of being one that could make Queens and Kings. Mother told me everything telepathically. Dionysus also agrees. So does Apollo. Geb and Sekhmet are overjoyed. As for you getting a female, it may not happen right away."

"I won't have sperm made," Alex said. "We can test it to see if Agatha will instinctively make an egg for you. Only she can do this for you, since we want you to help make Queens and Kings. However, she's pregnant with my drones right now. In another two hours, she will be giving birth. Then Robert can fuck her to see what will happen. But, now I have to ask you. What do you think should be done with the three being forcefully recruited? I think I should meet them on the island. Agatha doesn't want that. She wants a room here to be a quarantine room. So, I was thinking this. We drug up the men and bring them here. Then we simply hold them until they turn."

"I think that would work," Steve thought. "They think they can escape, but they'll only see water. Is the glass unbreakable?"

"Very," Robert nodded. "Dynamite can't blow this up."

"I say," Steve said with a sly smile. "put them in a room with a few windows with covered curtains and blinds. Let them know that they're trapped in the ocean. No way out if they even think about escaping. Wait one day, but have food and drink delivered to them. Maybe an express cart like they do with catering services. Sort of make it like the front lobby in the hospital, but have it complete with bathrooms and showers with beds. Of course, you gotta set up cameras to monitor them. Then, after a full day or two, if needed, you show up with Robert. Explain yourselves in full. If they don't accept the new terms, they die."

"You sound like me," Robert sighed. "when it comes to strategic planning."

"You'll need their blood, though. For the cryo tube, right?" Agatha frowned.

"I would," Alex nodded. "Easy to do with them pinned down, though. Ah. Hermanubis was able to get me some vials of blood. They are being transported down now in a water-tight container. Easily done. As for the three men, I will have a room converted to look like what you suggested, Steve. I'm actually really impressed by your idea. I'm sure we can stock up the real hospital with various drugs to incapacitate them."

"Ragland would know the best ones. Transport that shit up to the island," Robert nodded.

"Hariti has him working on it now," Hermes nodded. "And she's pregnant. One child."

"How wonderful!" Agatha beamed.

"Speaking of which, I need to get back to Dana. She needs a good back rub," he smiled. "She'll be giving birth to our daughter in three days, and she looks six months pregnant."

"That she does," Alex nodded. "Go tend to her."

"Right," Hermes nodded and left quickly.

"How long before that room is done?" Agatha asked.

"It could take the rest of the day," Alex smiled. "My drones are reporting that the three humans are declining food and drink right now."

"Like what I did," Robert smirked. "I'm going to over-see that room construction. I'll be back later on."

"Fine," Alex nodded. When he looked down at Agatha, she was gazing at him warmly. "What is it, Hera? What's on your mind?"

"Would we keep the Queens and Kings here?" she asked.

"You know," he thought. "I think they should take over head populations in full. If we move them into settlements, they could take over the head people in charge. Of course, ones that never get voted out and such. Maybe owners of plantations or other areas of vast wealth. There are other hidden bases. John knew practically all of them."

"So, we would have them filter to those areas," she mused.

"Exactly," he grinned wickedly. "There's one near Russia. Another near Japan. Oh, there's even one off of Europe..."

"And we can build more if we have to," she chuckled.

"That we can," he muttered and kissed her hard. The next three hours were dedicated to her sleeping, constructing the holding chamber, and preparing for three human guests.


	29. Chapter 29

On the island, the three men were easily drugged up with shots and getting ready for transport. It was agreed to not introduce the drug that would wake them up until all three men were settled in the underwater base chamber. Basic beds and a table with small trays of food were the only things permitted in the room. They wanted nothing to be used as weapons. If they tried to use the trays, the small aluminum platters were bolted down to the heavy steel tables. They would be unbolted when cleaning was needed.

The men were relieved of their uniforms to only have their dog tags, white shirts, and briefs on. All weapons and equipment were removed. The showering facilities were functioning and set up with basic cleaning products. Ragland assessed them, but did not give them Agatha's blood. They had to agree to want to help them first. Only then would her blood be given to them. Once the room was set with food and drink, a viewing window was set up for them to monitor the neutralizing drug when it got injected.

"Curious?" Alex smirked at Robert.

"Very," he nodded. "Carlos might be receptive to us. Same with Karl. Jeremiah...I'm not sure. If we can't break his will, we may be better off killing him."

"I would prefer to kill them all," Alex snorted.

"Well, we did agree to give them one day to adjust to their new surroundings. Is there enough food in there?"

"The table is heaped with meat, fruits, and water jugs. There's no utensils in there to keep them from wanting to hurt themselves. The showers are open. The towels in there are just long enough to dry themselves off with. If anyone tries to strangle themselves, I did have a surprise put in the room. I wanna see if it works."

"Oh? Care to share?" Robert grinned.

"The sprinklers not only spray water, but a sleep inducing gas. It's odorless and smokeless. After it leaves their system within an hour, they wake up. We'll likely put them in the beds and reset the room to freak them out," Alex said with an amusing grin. "The drones don't need to sleep, so they'll be monitoring this room. And, since they don't need to breath, they gas won't affect them if it's used. Also, I do have a scout in there with camouflage to help keep the peace if they berserk. Everything they do will be watched."

"Good," Robert nodded. "Were they given the wake up drug?"

"It's being given now," Alex said. A drone with Aden's form walked in, gave the shots to the men in their necks and walked out, as the door sealed shut behind it. Ten minutes crawled by before movement was finally given.

"Motherfucker!" Jeremiah growled out, as he blinked awake. He jerked around wildly and fell out of the bed. Groaning as he put a hand to his forehead, he blinked at where he was. He saw how he was dressed, and he swore. He looked around and paused at the food on the table. He was starving. He gave in. The smell of cooked meat was his undoing. He didn't even notice his other two companions finally waking up in much the same way.

"Where...are we...?" Karl whispered.

"I don't know," Carlos swallowed. They looked over at the food table and tackled it.

"Poisoned?" Karl muttered and tore into a chicken leg.

"Don't care," Jeremiah snorted. Right after they ate and drank their fills, they were able to focus better. Another ten minutes passed by before the curtains were discovered. When they were pulled back to show the window, the three of them paused in horror.

"Is that...water...?" Carlos blinked. As if in response, a school of bait fish flitted by the window and vanished.  _They weren't in an aquarium. This was the ocean._  Karl backed away with trembling movements. Jeremiah had nothing he could say now. Carlos was deep in thought. He moved to inspect the room rather calmly. He found the bathroom and showers. He decided to use them.

"What are you doing?!" Jeremiah asked him.

"If we are to stay here, then we may as well look civilized. We were kept alive for a reason. Granted, we may die, but I don't want to smell of sweat and shit," Carlos muttered. "I want to look presentable, even if I don't have a change of clothes. They left just enough in here for us. They gave us food and water. If they didn't want us to live, we would all be dead. I don't know what the two of you want to do, but I'm taking a shower and cleaning up."

"Well..." Karl frowned in thought. _I do need a shower. We all did._  Giving in, the three cleaned up. After they had redressed in their white shirts and briefs, they sat on the beds.

"Now what do we do?" Jeremiah asked.

"We wait. I'm fairly sure we are being watched. Examined. Likely to see if we are going to berserk or anything. If we were hungry, I'm sure that would have happened. So, I don't know about the two of you, but I'm going to sleep," Carlos shrugged. "Not much else to do until then. We have no weapons. No communication. Nothing. We're under the ocean. No one knows where we are. Why fight it? May as well see what they want, right?"

"Fucking..." Jeremiah muttered. He couldn't argue.  _Carlos hit everything right on target. We were powerless._  Karl was already yawning from the stress he had to put up with. Sleep was easily taken into consideration. As they settled down, Robert and Alex were clearly surprised at them.

"Carlos is definitely the most promising one," Alex said.

"He's a natural at taking the lead," Robert nodded.

"We should kill the other two and just keep him."

"No. We'll assess them all together. If Carlos shows he's letting up, the other two will follow. I know this for a fact. What does Agatha think?"

"Hmm..." Alex thought to a drone. "She agrees with you. She wants to have as many studs as possible for future offspring. They will be crucial. As much as you could fuck a Queen to do the job, I already know that Agatha will refuse it. She sees you as her stud. You are top quality to her. None other will do. She liked you the moment she saw you, anyways."

"Well, she did comment to me that she wanted me to fuck her first," Robert sighed with a chuckle. "This was before she left to find you."

"Would you consider fucking another Queen?" Alex asked now.

"No. It wouldn't seem right to me," he admitted. "It's as though...I feel connected to her. I don't want to sleep with any others."

"Fine. Agatha is pregnant with drones again. I'm gonna be with her. What will you do? Stick around here?"

"Yeah. I want to see what's going to happen," Robert nodded.

"You could have a drone get you the moment movement happens," Alex shrugged. "You could start preparing a list of questions to ask them."

"True," he mused. He looked over at Hermes when he walked up to them.

"Father, if Carlos agrees to work with us, I want him as the stud male for my daughter," his son said bluntly. "He fits my criteria."

"If he agrees, then fine," Robert nodded. "Two more days?"

"Yes," Hermes grinned. "There was another reason I came over."

"What for?" Alex asked.

"Do we have anymore ham? Dana has been wanting it. She wants it very sweet, too. I don't know how much honey we have left," Hermes sighed.

"Go talk to Kim. That drone's the one in charge of the food supply," Alex said. The breeder male nodded and walked off to the kitchen. "He likes to do things himself."

"That he does. I'll go prepare a question list. Maybe Agatha can help me out," Robert thought aloud. "She does come up with some good strategic questions."

"That she can. Maybe she has an idea of what we can do when they wake up."

"You know what? I'll check on Agatha with you," he smirked. Alex flipped him off to get a response in kind, and they walked to the newly furnished bedroom. Agatha was actually trying to see if she could brush her hair. The moment the bristles touched the hair-like strands, the tentacles would appear to instinctively shift aside.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked with amusement.

"Trying to see if I could do a normal thing that human women can do," she sighed and put the brush back on the vanity table. "My hair doesn't like to be touched, apparently. My daughters can do it just fine, though. Likely because of Robert's blood. But, it's only the ones with shorter hair. If they have long hair, it's like mine. Hermes can brush his hair out, though, and he has long hair. Oh! Hermanubis really likes the thought that he can hunt down the humans we send over. He and Sigyn would like to stay on the island permanently. Sigyn is content to stay in one spot, and I think Hermanubis loves the thrill of the hunt."

"If they want to, then fine. He's rather sadistic, anyways," Alex chuckled. "I do remember how he enjoyed gutting open large fish."

"I think he's the type of guy that, if he can get away with something, he'll do it. He won't even have to think about it," Robert grimaced. "I had that trait on the field of battle. I think he got it. He won't do anything against us, but I noticed that he was the one that tried to set up strategized camera feeds for us while he was here. I can't see what the kids see, or hear them, and he wanted to fix that. He wants to do the same thing for the island."

"How does he plan to do that?" Alex frowned.

"Oh!" Agatha blinked. "Osiris will help him. He's going to convince the military board to send in a group to set up cameras on various points around the island. For military viewpoints. Hermanubis will help him find the best camera spots. There are various buildings that can allow access to that, if they are tall enough. But, after we either wipe out or recruit the military group to our cause, the camera feeds will be redirected to us with the hidden satellite that's active. Hermanubis will set up a main camera feed in the hospital to do this. He can get all the equipment he needs from the military bunkers that were left behind."

"He's a fucking military genius," Robert winced.

"Can he add more cameras?" Alex asked.

"With the right equipment, he can," Agatha smirked. "Now...hmm...that's not good..."

"What?" Alex frowned.

"That assistant's brother..." Agatha focused on the thoughts reaching her. "He feels that something isn't right. Isis is trying to convince him that everything is fine, as Lynette would have done, but he's always had a feeling to know that something is off. He plans to visit sooner. Within two days. I wonder..."

"What? When you start grinning like that, something's up," Alex said with a small grin.

"He has a very nice build. And he's very smart. He'd make a good breeding stud," she mused. "We can get a drone to bring him here, can't we?"

"And, if he refuses?" Robert asked.

"One of the breeder males can take him over and have his mate as a 'surprise' girlfriend," she grinned. "We could gain a nice foothold in Japan that way. If he agrees to help us, he will remain here, and a drone will be sent in his place."

"You are very scary with that mind of yours," Robert chuckled.

"Be very glad that I like you," she smirked. That had him nodding. "What are the three men doing right now?"

"Funny you should ask," Alex chuckled. He told her what they did, and she was clearly impressed. On learning what Hermes wanted of Carlos, she nodded. She could see that human being a good breeding stud right away. "The one called Jeremiah could be problematic."

"If I meet with them, and he insults me to my face, I'll kill him personally," Agatha said in such a cold, uncaring tone that Robert blinked at her. "I am Empress. Anyone that insults me to my face dies on the spot. I don't care how much planning it took to get them here. I won't tolerate it. Ever. There are no second chances with me."

"Understood," Alex nodded. Robert actually swallowed.  _She was listed as a top-ranking soldier and survived having a thermonuclear bomb implanted in her head. She had every right to be a cold-hearted bitch if she had to be._

"I'm starting to get hungry," she sighed. "I want to know when those men wake up. I want to see them after they talk to you two."

"We can arrange it," Alex smiled and pulled her into a tight hug. He gave an odd glance at Robert, and the man gave the same glance back. They knew what she was like when she was livid.  _They didn't want that anger to be directed towards them._

"Anything you're in the mood to eat?" Robert asked. Now she gave him a look with a bit of a wicked grin, and Alex started to laugh. Then the look she gave him next had him look back at her with complete curiosity.

"I am wondering," she mused. "what would happen if I had you both at once?"

"Fuck. That," Alex growled.

"Wait, what?!" Robert gaped.

"I'll be neutral to him, but like fucking _Hell_ am I going to fuck you with him!" Alex snarled out. "That's drawing a line!"

"Then I suppose Robert will need to give some sperm to Ragland so that I can put it in me as you're fucking me. Right?" Agatha said with a touch of twisted amusement. "It makes me wonder if I can give birth to breeders and drones at once."

"Agatha, that could be drastic," Robert said now. "We know how much your belly swells. And, if you have both at once..."

"I think he's right," Alex nodded. "One after the other is best."

At both of their concerned looks, she relented with a small nod. _If they both felt strongly for my well-being, then I'm not going to argue._  Now that she was tended to and fed, the simple wait for having the men wake up naturally was being done.


	30. Chapter 30

It wouldn't be until two hours later that movement happened in the containment cell. The moment one of the soldiers stirred, Alex and Robert were informed. Agatha was bedridden from being in a fast growing phase, but one of the breeder drones would tell her everything that happened. Alex assumed the guise of Sergeant Thomas, and Robert put on one of the top military uniforms he had. As much as he hated to wear it now, it would show how high up the ladder he used to be.  _It would demand respect._

"Ready?" Alex smirked.

"Now or never," Robert sighed. "I wonder if Agatha would like to see me in a uniform. Do you think she would?"

"Better not. She might rip it off you," he grinned.

"Well, this uniform was a bitch to get. I don't want it in pieces right now. I might have another one, though," Robert said with a slight smile. It was pitch black with gold trim. The military hat brim was shined up and reflected the golden insignia in the front. There were no brass buttons anywhere on the suit. It was all gold. It was awarded to him by John after saving him from a sniper rifle in one of his old glory days. All of his top ranking badges of military honors adorned it. Another nod was given to each other, and the door opened for them.

"What the...?" Jeremiah blinked, as he sat up in the bed. The other two sat up now.

"At ease, Soldier," Robert said lightly. "Like you, I'm trapped here. However, it's more of my own free will. There are no Foreign enemies here, but your lives are all in danger. Hear me out, make a decision, and we will go from there. Understood?"

"Who are you?" Carlos frowned.

"I am...was...Commander Robert Harrison. The military was going to sack me, so I decided to stay here. This is Sergeant Thomas. He's my assistant. At times, sometimes all the time, it's the other way around. The three of you were chosen to come here. As much as I wished it could have been another way, there was no other way. Yes, the Commander you spoke with on the surface is no longer human. There are...many that you may have met at that base that are likely the same. Please, save your questions until after. And, yes, I am still human," he smiled with a nod. "It was because I agreed to help. Anyways, will you three hear me out?"

"Yes," Carlos nodded from where he was on the bed.

"Not much of a choice," Karl frowned. Jeremiah snorted, but he crossed his arms over his broad chest. For an hour, Robert explained everything that was expected of them. Alex kept his face completely expressionless, as he judged each of their actions. The hive collective was very wary of Jeremiah. He was showing the most distaste at everything.

"Are there any others here?" Carlos asked when Robert finished.

"Yes. Steve Collins is a soldier much like yourself. He was abandoned, and my kids found him. Not the ones you met, though," Robert chuckled. "He wants to help make Queens and Kings. Since he vowed to help us, and he has been doing that, we are going to let him do just that. The three of you are, we hope, to become breeding studs."

"When I signed up for the army, I was  _not_  going to do anything like this! Fuck you!" Jeremiah snarled out. "I joined up, because I wanted to protect my country! To fight for my country! Not this alien bullshit!"

"Is that so?" Alex muttered and let the form waver to his true one. "I'm Project Zeus. Say that again. To my face. I fucking dare you."

"I..." now Jeremiah's jaw dropped. His heart was in his throat. He was staring directly at the Blacklight Project. He was as good as dead.

"Your fucked up country was going to slaughter an innocent woman and rape her up the ass!" Alex hissed with rage. "They made her to kill me so that they could kill her! To use her like she was  _garbage_! How fucking dare you to come here saying that your country expects you to fight for them when they knew this shit was going down!"

"Not everyone knew," Robert mumbled. "I doubt that over five percent of the military knew. Jeremiah, last chance. Do you want to join us? If you don't, you will die. Right here. Right now. You were one of the few chosen, because you agreed that you would help kill your fellow man in order to survive. Was that a lie?"

"I didn't expect it to turn out like this..." Jeremiah cringed.

"I'll join you," Carlos said with a light nod. "I have no ties anywhere. I'm sure I'm already reported dead. If I wasn't in the military, I'd be living off the streets with nothing to show for it. All of my family is dead, thanks to a mudslide that covered most of the village I lived in. I came over the border from Mexico, as it was, so I'm not really a true United States citizen. A friend of mine helped me get the papers to forge the documents."

"Really?!" Robert blinked. "Hmm. Well, if that's the case, welcome aboard! My son, Hermes, has already claimed you to help out his daughter when she's born. You'll get a shot of Agatha's blood to keep you from getting infected. When you walk out this door, follow the drone that's there. You will be monitored, at first. It's a precaution."

"I understand," Carlos shrugged.

"You...son of a bitch..." Jeremiah hissed out, as the man walked out of the room.

"And you?" Alex asked when he looked at Karl.

"I don't know," the red-headed man admitted. "I'm still in a bit of shock, to tell the truth. I was adopted, so I do have a foster family. I care about them. There's no way for me to write them? To tell them that I won't be coming home?"

"You're likely already registered as missing in action," Robert said with a soft smile. "They will be compensated accordingly for you. Like I explained to you, a massive family here is being offered to you. All you need to do is do what you're told. It's really not that bad. I wouldn't be surprised if you find yourself enjoying everything a bit more than you like."

"Can I have a little more time to think about it?" Karl asked.

"One hour," Alex nodded. "And you?"

"Fuck this. Kill me now," Jeremiah trembled.

"Fine," Alex said with a dark look.

"Wait," Robert said. A nasty glare was given to him, but it was ignored. "Jeremiah. I want to know your thoughts on this."

"I risked my fucking life every fucking day," the man trembled. "To serve with honor and integrity! To be raised right! Now I'm being told to kill the ones that forced me into this situation?! To go against everything I was brought up to be?"

Robert was about to respond, but the door opened to reveal Agatha there. Alex hissed at how pregnant she was, but Robin was carrying her. Karl and Jeremiah both stared at her with shock at how beautiful she was.

"I am Project Hera. You can call me Agatha," she said softly with a nod. "One of my son's drones was in this room to let me hear the conversation."

"My Empress," the blond-haired scout drone whispered, as it revealed itself. The entire hive has now labeled her as their Empress and not their Queen.

"In less than one day, after I was brought out of the hibernation chamber," she sighed. "Alex was able to get stronger than me. How did it happen? A scientist was jealous that Robert had my affections. He fucked over the entire mission that I was supposed to do. My life was forfeit. If it wasn't for Alex, the island would be destroyed along with me. He saved my life. He gave me another reason to exist. Your government created me to kill him. I was trained to be just like one of you. But, I was made to end up dead in the end. All because I wasn't fully human. Yet...what is a human? I can talk to you. I can touch you. I can laugh and cry like any other. But...I was still destined to be killed.

"I am personally offering you both a chance to join me at my side. To gain a new reason for existence. To become a part of something great, and, yes, it will become global! You will never have to worry about going hungry. You will never have to worry about death. I offer you a chance to become more than what you are now. To become a part of an ever-growing family that will branch out and touch wherever it can. To help in creating an empire."

"I've been brought up to do what was right. To do what I felt was right..." Jeremiah muttered. "Granted, our country can be a downright shithole. But, it's still my country."

"Not everyone will die," Robert smiled. "I'm still alive. They do show compassion where it's needed. We don't target kids. We don't target large families. We only target those that deserve what's coming to them. Then we grow off of that."

"I'm in," Karl said suddenly. Jeremiah looked at him with shock. "Just...leave my foster family out of this. That's my only request."

"Done," Alex nodded. "Follow the drone outside."

Karl nodded and walked out the door without another word to Jeremiah. Robert smiled softly and looked over at the last man in the room.

"And what about you?" Agatha asked softly. "What is your decision?"

"I'm sorry about your life. But...I can't do this," Jeremiah said. Before anyone could blink, Alex lunged forward to impale him on his blade and heaved him up into the air to slice through all of his vital organs. Another drone had a container ready to catch any spilled blood. It could be used for possible cloning. When the jerking of various limbs finally stopped, the body was dumped into another waiting container. Several drones would sink the body to bottom of the ocean and ensure it would never be found.

"Two out of three. Not bad," Alex grinned.

"Let's go with what Steve suggested with various raiding parties," Agatha said. Robert nodded as they left the room. As much as he wanted to be horrified with what he just witnessed, he was remarkably calm.  _I am no stranger to death. The man was given a choice, and he declined. He wouldn't be missed at all._

"What's for lunch?" Alex grinned.

"I just watched someone die, and you're talking about food?" Robert asked him with disbelief. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm sure Agatha's hungry," Alex smirked. "Besides, to me, this was all in a day's work. Assassins, mercenaries, and common thugs would say the same thing."

It would be an hour later that both Carlos and Karl would hear of their former man's demise. All they did was cluck their tongue at his stupidity, but it was his choice in the end. They were taken to the lab first to be given a shot of Agatha's blood and introduced to Ragland to get a physical check-up. After that, they had gotten acquainted with Steve and learned his story of how he got there. Carlos was able to meet with Hermes, and he was amazed at what the breeder male looked like. The other breeder males there were able to talk to them casually. It was just like talking to other people. It amazed them.

When a room was given to them, they found a set of boxes on their beds. Hermanubis sent a personalized letter to them stating how pleased he was that they joined them, and he had sent them some designer clothing for them to wear. Another box was there with luxury soaps, shampoos, shaving creams, and other things for them to use from the casino that Anubis was staying at. There were even better quality steaks and foods set up for them to eat when they were hungry. Neither of them were expecting this treatment so soon after agreeing to join up, but it was Karl that put it into perspective.

"Are we getting...pampered?" Karl winced.

"You're right. Like a dog..." Carlos sighed. "I will not be trained to do tricks!"

"I agree. I'll draw a line there," he nodded. They had learned rather quickly what humans were known as to the viral family. Steve had hinted it to them.

"I'll do what I'm told when it comes to chores. But, I won't sit up or play dead," Carlos muttered. "I'll bite the hand that feeds me, if it comes to that."

"Maybe I'll piss on a carpet," Karl grinned. That got them both laughing at each other, and they started to go through their gift boxes to see what they could start using.


	31. Chapter 31

Nothing else happened until two days later. Dana was experiencing the first of many labor pains, and Hermes was right there at her side to help her. Ragland had a receiving blanket ready, and Hariti was setting up an area in the lab to help clean the baby the moment she was born. Hermes was overly anxious about this. Dana was simply livid with the pain.

"I'm here," Hermes soothed.

"Fuck you! Fuck what you've done to me! Fuck everything!" Dana seethed and gasped at another contraction. "I should have never fucked you!"

"I didn't hear you complaining," Hermes smiled wickedly. That actually got her to blush. "I'll back off after this. I don't know if you'll come to me, though. You were exceptionally horny at times, too, so don't blame all of this on me."

"Why the fuck do you have to look so..." she panted and shouted at another contraction.

"Just be glad you only have to do one and not multiples like Mother," Hermes said softly. That got her to look at him with a frown, and she trembled hard. He was able to counter everything she was mad about rather easily. "After this one, you can rest. We'll both rest. I'll let you recover and tend to our daughter, okay? I'm not leaving your side for anything."

"Promise?" she whimpered. He kissed her lovingly with a very gentle smile.

"You know I do," he chuckled. "Now let's focus on getting our kid out of you so you can stop swearing at me. It's not much longer."

"You're not the one going through the pain," she grimaced and started to push. Hariti had warm, damp towels ready to help clean her up. Another grueling ten minutes passed before the baby girl's shrill cries finally filled the room. The afterbirth was delivered next and disposed of. Dana could only relax back on the soft pillows and let Hermes gently wipe off the sweat. When she was helped up to start nursing the newborn, he gazed down at his daughter.

She had his long hair and Dana's brown eyes. She was going to be just as beautiful as Agatha was. There was another thing he noticed, too. As the baby nursed, she was growing.

"A year in a day," Ragland mused, as he watched the growing infant. "It appears to be a slow growth, though. Maybe two days of nursing, if that. It gives me an idea of what to expect for my future child. What do you think, Hermes?"

"It does make sense," Hermes nodded. He looked over to see his father walking in to see his granddaughter. "Father! Coming to meet Rhea?"

"You know I am," Robert chuckled. "She's, eh, growing pretty fast. Isn't she?"

"I know. Likely a toddler before the day is out," Hermes nodded. He looked over at Alex and Agatha coming in. His mother was pregnant with breeders, but it was only a couple hours in. She was very pleased at what Rhea looked like.

"Can you hear her thoughts?" Alex asked.

"Ah..." Hermes focused. "I think I can. Rather fuzzy right now, in infant stage, but I'm sure that it will get better as her brain develops more. Can you hear her, Mother?"

"Hmm," Agatha mused. "It's faint, but I can. Likely because of you being my son."

"Good. As Empress, you should be able to hear all future Kings and Queens," Alex nodded. "What are you going to do now, Commander?"

"It's just Robert now," he sighed.

"No. It's Commander to me," Alex grinned.

"You just like watching me get pissed off," Robert growled.

"You bet your ass," Alex grinned a bit wider.

"Stop it," Agatha snorted. "You're both a couple of idiots! Ah...oh..."

"What's wrong?" Alex asked now, as his concern went completely to her.

"Lynette's brother..." she blinked.

"He's about to show up on the doorstep of Osiris and Isis," Hermes muttered.

"What perfect fucking timing!" Alex scowled.

"Don't swear in front of my daughter," Dana said with a glare at him. Alex gave her an odd look, but he wouldn't argue. She was helping him by giving birth to Queens and Kings. He would abide by her rules. He owed her too much just for what she did for his mate.

"Father. Mother. My King and Emperor," Hermes said respectfully. "I think it's time I had some alone time with my family. As much as it may be short-lived with how fast my daughter is growing. I need to take what I can get."

"Of course," Robert nodded. After Ragland evaluated the baby a bit more, he also took his leave to let the new parents rest and bond with their new baby girl.

"Who is escorting Lynette's brother?" Agatha asked. She was settled back in her bed and given a cooked steak. "What do we do about him?"

"I think we can drug him up and bring him here," Alex said.

"Actually," she mused. "there is another drone with Lynette's likeness, right?"

"Quite a few, but there is one living with them," he nodded.

"Let's have the drone bring him here," she grinned. "He wants to know more about what's going on. It can offer to show him, but he would need to be blindfolded. It could give an excuse to Osiris that a shopping trip needs to be done. I'm sure the human would take it as time to be with his former sister. Then we can bring him here..."

"And contain him," Alex grinned.

"I'll see if another room is ready," Robert nodded. When he left, Alex moved to gather up his mate to pull close. She sighed and rested her hand in his hair under the hood.

"I really hate not being able to hear your part of the hive mind," he admitted. "I know I can get the memories if I take the blood, but it just sucks that I can't get anything as it happens. At least the drones can collect memories for me and travel with the breeders and their drones. I'd try to fuck a breeder female just to see what happens, but..."

"Yes, Zeus?" she asked with a soft whisper.

"I would never want it to seem like I'm betraying you, Hera," he muttered and kissed her hard. He knew that the god he was named after was a known womanizer.  _That didn't mean that I had to be._ When the kiss they shared got far more intense, it was easy for him to mate with her. All through his time with her, he kept his face pressed into her neck.

"What is it, Zeus?" she whispered. She could tell that something was bothering him. "You know that you can tell me."

"Have you ever...kissed Robert?" he asked.

"Now that's an odd question," she mused. He rose up over her to look at her. "I actually haven't. There's been no need to. A kiss is usually shared between those that love each other. I care about Robert. That's no lie. He cares about me, too. But, we aren't fully in love. It's more like...he is simply full-filling his part of the bargain. His duty to me."

"Don't ever kiss him," he whispered. "For me."

"My love," she whispered softly with a warm smile. "The most I've ever done was kiss his cheek or his forehead. Maybe even his skin during a mating. I have never kissed him fully. There is no need for me to do that. I just need to kiss you."

He kissed her fiercely now, as he claimed her again. After twenty minutes passed, he noticed she looked troubled now. "Hera?"

"Osiris is asking me what to do about the human visitor," she frowned.

"Let's do as you suggest. Lure him down with a drone. It can be done late at night when humans are usually sleeping. They can 'sneak out' of the building to a submarine. The drone with Lynette's figure will allow the human to 'convince' him to show off what's going on," Alex grinned wickedly. At the nod of approval, he kissed her again. The message was sent through the hive mind. It was time to start taking over Japan at last, and preparations were quickly being done. Osiris and Isis had a guest room ready for the human. Everything was going to look like nothing was wrong. Isis knew how to act out the issue perfectly. All that they had to do was wait for their target to appear. That time was fast approaching.


	32. Chapter 32

Sakuma didn't know what to expect when he got out of the airport. The call he made to his sister a few days ago disturbed him. She may have changed her name to Lynette for American use, but he always saw her as Hikari. He was the most protective of her, and he hated how she optioned to willingly go with that American man. Even though she was more like a half-sister from his father's hay-days in the States, she was taken in the moment she showed that fabled Japanese wit.  _She actually bonded with my mother as though she was her daughter all along!_  It was mainly why his other brothers didn't like her very much, but Sakuma adored her.  _Maybe it was because I was the youngest of them._  Now that she's showing hesitation from living in the States, he's been trying to convince her to return home ever since.

Lynette had actually called him before she met her demise at the underwater lab. She hinted to him that she was scared. _She needed me to see her._ The only problem was that he wasn't really going to see 'her'. He was walking into a trap and had no idea. He checked his phone for the last time he called her. _It was roughly an hour ago._ He didn't know that he spoke to Isis. She played out everything with picture-perfect acting. The same stressful, whispery tone in Japanese was muttered out. The small shiver of breath that she was scared out of her mind. The bait was caught, and now the target was easily being reeled in.

The black limousine that showed up had two drones in it. One from Alex's side, and the other was from Osiris and Isis. Sakuma found it odd that there were two in the vehicle, but then he saw the trunk was filled with food supplies. He was being picked up on the way back from a supply pick-up. It was the only way to get him in a timely manner.

"Sir? Are you Mr. Sakuma Hamamoto?" the blond drone asked.

"Yes," he said lightly.

"Very good, Sir. We are expecting you," the black-haired drone said. They kept sunglasses on over their eyes and wore suits that resembled an off-set of military style tuxedos. They looked crisp and clean to form. The drone resembling Nick nodded to the human and got back in the passenger side up front. The blond-haired drone resembled Aden, in a way, and it opened up the back passenger door. When Sakuma got in, his luggage was placed carefully inside. Then the door was shut, and the driver got back in the driver's seat to start heading off.

"How far away are we?" Sakuma asked.

"About an hour out. We will make good time," the drone resembling Nick said with a nod. Sakuma thought nothing of how silent they were. His thoughts were filled with his sister. He went into his front pocket to pull out a comb and mirror. He carefully checked the way his soft, black hair fell off to the side neatly. It tapered to the back of his neck, and his long front locks framed his sharp chin perfectly. His dark brown eyes blinked back at him under neatly groomed eyebrows. His ears were slightly exposed, but it was how he liked it. It hid the small, gold hoop earring he wore on his right ear lobe. His father never approved of it, but he liked it. It gave him a sense of style.

He brushed off the stylish open-front suit he wore. The dark blue jacket accentuated the crisp, white cotton undershirt neatly. The few buttons were open to show he was a bit relaxed.  _No need to button it up fully right now._ He was showing that he was here for a friendly visit. His dark blue pants were smoothed out with a touch of nervousness, and he rubbed off a spot of grit from a shiny, black shoe. He normally isn't this tense, but he knew that something was wrong. Out of his three other brothers, he was always the closest to his sister.

His phone rang, and he answered it. "Hello? Hikari! Wait...slow down! Okay. I'm in the limo and heading to your place now. Yes. We can do lunch when I get there. Okay. I'll see you soon. I love you, too. See you!"

Isis knew that she would have to call him quite a few times. Even as the dining room table was being set with a small course of appetizers, she had to keep the ruse up.

"Still working like a charm?" Osiris grinned.

"Of course," Isis chuckled. "Good thing I finished off the last birth a few minutes ago."

"True. I'll have to fight off every urge I have to touch you," he sighed.

"You're not the only one," she murmured seductively in his ear. He growled at her, and she gave him a teasing wink. He had a mix of Dionysus and Apollo when it came to attitude. He was stern when needed, but he liked to have fun, too. Isis was very much the same way. If there was one thing they both had definitely gained from Robert it was an intense appetite for sex. The man never really let it out until it was called for. And, like the others, the attitude was intensified. If the breeder couple had their way, they'd never leave the bedroom. Most of the time, it was just like that. The kiss they shared next almost forced them to lose control, but she pulled herself away.

"You don't play fair," he tensed.

"I know, brother dear," she chuckled. "Don't worry. After the human is seen to, we can use the hot tub. We haven't use that yet."

"I'm holding you to that!" he grinned wickedly. At the nip to his chin she gave him, he glared at her with a form of control. He almost lost it when she wiggled her rump at him when she walked away in the sleek gown of red velvet. Even the gold flower decorations in traditional Japanese style seemed to caress against her form as she moved in it. He hated and loved how she enjoyed the feel of stretch velvet. Now he thought to the hive and agreed that several bolts would be purchased for their mother.  _She would enjoy the feel of it, too._

"Make it with satin lining," Isis giggled. "It's a very luxurious texture. It's so smooth to the touch. It's like a warm mix of silk and chocolate."

"You have no need for it," he muttered. "Come with me, sister mine. We need to make sure the guest room is prepared."

"Already done!" she laughed. He chuckled and shook his head. He looked rather regal in the loose, light blue, button down shirt. The stiff collar seemed to show off his rather buffed out chest and figure. He had to alter quite a few shirts and pants. The old Commander's clothing was too tight on him in the arms and hips. He watched her call Sakuma again, and he moved up behind her when the call was done.

"Any ideas as to what we can do while we wait for the target?" he asked with sly grin.

"Oh, I have plenty ideas of what we can do after the fact," she smirked. He smirked back and encircled his arms around her slender, lithe form. She leaned back against his chest and whispered, "I'm fairly sure we'd just have ten minutes at a time, though."

"Not long enough, then," he sighed. Like Alex and his father, he tended to take a full hour at a time with her. _And it had to be uninterrupted._

"I am a bit hungry, though," she muttered, turned in his arms and nibbled his lower lip. His mouth was quick to ravish hers with his own form of hunger. Ten minutes seemed to fly by with how absorbed they were with each other. At the end of each ten minutes, she would call Sakuma on queue. Then it was back to making out. She stopped calling after the fifth call to him, and her mate pulled her close to kiss in his hungry, ravishing way again. At the mental alarm that the target arrived, they were forced to push apart. With mental jabs at each other that they'd have time soon, she shifted into the form of Lynette easily. He became John's form and nodded. They knew it was time to set the trap.

"I'll be in the study," he chuckled and patted her rump. She wiggled it at him again to get that low growl she loved to hear. She delighted in tormenting him that way. He enjoyed it all too much, as well. When he forced himself to leave, she went to the small atrium garden in the main entrance. Sitting down at a table, a drone in the guise of a servant gave her some tea to sip. Lynette always drank tea to calm her nerves. The ploy worked to perfection.

"Hikari!" she heard Sakuma voice out. "Lynette?!"

"Over here!" she said with small smile. "John is in his study. Um...the ride wasn't too bad for you? Everything was fine?"

"Yeah. I came out the moment you called me. What's going on?" he asked, as he sat down. He was offered something to eat, and he accepted. The planes hardly offered anything these days, and he was famished.

"I can't...really say..." she said timidly. When a small plate of delicate tea cookies appeared with bite-sized cakes and sandwiches, he started to tuck in. She barely nibbled on a sandwich. It was how Lynette acted when something was wrong.

"You should eat," he frowned.

"I'm...too nervous..." she cringed and shivered. "Something big is happening. John...he wants me to be a part of it. I really...I don't want to..."

"How big?" Sakuma frowned.

"If it gets out of hand...I mean..." she whimpered. "I can't go home. I can't go anywhere. I'm locked into this."

" _Hikari, you can speak to me,_ " he said in soft Japanese.

" _I know, Sakuma. I vowed to keep the secret. I cannot let it out. I would...have to show you. And it is something I cannot do. It would hurt you. You could die! Everyone could die, if it got out of control! John...he wants my help in this. He said that my DNA would be beneficial. But, I'm scared! I saw what I would have to do. I vowed to help him, but..._ "

" _You can trust me,_ " he smiled and held her hand. " _I've always been there for you._ "

"Well..." she thought, and she spoke English again. She swallowed and said, "I would need to get John's permission. For you to see the project we are working on. I can't just...say it. Even the walls have ears now, you know? No matter what language we talk in. Even if I write it out, something can be seen. I don't know how else to say it. You wouldn't believe me if I did. You would have to see it to believe it."

"I trust you. I will see what you want me to see," he nodded. "Just...eat more? Please?"

"Okay," she nodded. They finished off the small lunch, and he escorted her to the study. The walls were lined with books from common to unique to rare. A massive globe with ornate wood and porcelain design rested near the back wall. Osiris was pouring over a military workbook with John's form activated. He looked up and appeared a bit irritated.

"Lynette, why is your brother here?" he asked sternly.

"John, ah, I...told him I saw our latest project. Um...he wants to see it, too," she said with a soft frown. "I'm sorry, John! I'm too scared! And with what you want me to do...!"

"Okay," Osiris said smoothly, and he rose up to walk over to comfort her. "I know it's a big thing that I'm asking of you. If you think your brother can help, well...hmm. Maybe he can. But, no. He needs to go back to Japan."

"If my sister wants me to see something, then I have to see it! If I don't, I'll report to my Father!" Sakuma threatened. "Hikari will come home with me!"

"Stubborn," Osiris smirked. "Again. I say no. Your father knows what I dabble in. He would agree with me. You. Go. Home. You have no say-so here! Lynette, please retire to your room. Don't let your brother follow you!"

"He's my family, John!" Isis gasped with perfection. "If I want him with me, then he'll come with me! He is here for  _me_! Not for you!"

"Do you not remember your promise to me?" Osiris asked now. She whimpered and shivered. Sakuma knew she wouldn't be able to fight him now.

"It's okay.  _I'll see you later tonight_ ," her brother muttered softly to her. She only nodded. Osiris watched them both leave, and he went back to the book he was studying. Isis was giggling to him mentally, and he was applauding her for well-done performance. They both agreed to have a drone wearing Lynette's form be the one to take Sakuma to the submarine. That wouldn't happen until later in the night.


	33. Chapter 33

It was past midnight when the drone bearing Lynette's form approached Sakuma. Osiris and Isis were busy making up for a lot of lost time on being apart. Sakuma woke to the sound of a tap at his door, and he was there quickly to find the drone there.

"I need to show you what I saw," the drone whispered with a small swallow. "I know John is sleeping now. If we go now, we can make it back in the morning."

"Are you sure?" he whispered back. He dressed quickly. He needed to see what was bothering his sister at long last. She nodded and gestured to a motorcycle that was parked nearby. Now Sakuma blinked at her like she was crazy. Once again, Lynette was known for making bizarre choices on occasion. "Hikari, the bike will be too loud! Do you want to wake everyone up?! Don't you have a quieter way?"

"Um...I don't know..." the drone winced. Sakuma worried his lower lip and had her take him to the garage. The only car there was the limousine.

"Ugh. Okay. We'll work with the bike, I guess. You have the keys?" he asked, as they went back over to it. The drone nodded and pulled them out. He started the engine and tried hard to keep the noise down. It wasn't a heavy bike, but it still revved up pretty hard. Osiris and Isis just chuckled to each other at the sound of the bike leaving and pulled each other into another passionate round of sex.

"Okay, I know where we have to go. I can drive it," the drone said. He managed to let the drone drive the motorcycle and take them to the docks. It went up to the Captain drone and said, "My name is Lynette Hamamoto. I was given orders by Commander John Murlow to bring my brother to the base below."

"Proof?" the Captain drone asked. The Lynette drone pulled out a false document that was briefly looked over. It was all for show. "Okay. Go in. We'll leave now."

"How did they know to see us?" Sakuma asked.

"Um...I was able to call ahead. Sometimes, John makes unusual visits here. It's...like a routine check-up. All these guys do is take us there. That's it. They don't know anything else," the Lynette drone sighed. "I'd say something, but they might over-hear us."

"It's fine. How long is the ride?" he asked.

"About thirty minutes," the drone nodded. They chatted lightly in Japanese about how the family was and outlining areas. It was all information the hive mind absorbed for future use, anyways. The drone was prompted by Agatha to ask about prime locations and if they changed. All of the answers were readily given, and new ideas of where to put breeders were set into motion. They were given food and drink to tide them over. Of course, the drone did eat and drink, but would purge it out later when it was safe to do so.

"We are approaching!" a drone deck-hand reported to them. They got ready to leave the submarine. Sakuma glanced over at the drone bearing his sister's form, and it looked rather nervous.  _Now was the time to up the acting._

"We should go!" the drone whispered. "We should turn back! It's just not safe!"

"Nonsense, Hikari! I'll see what you wanted me to see. I'll judge it," he said.

"But...we could both die..."

"I won't let that happen."

"I couldn't...say anything...but..."

"What?"

"This project...it's about the Blacklight Virus..."

"What?!" he gaped at her.

"We...we can't go in there! We just can't!" the drone wailed, and he grabbed its shoulders to shake lightly in a brotherly way.

"You know I have to know what's going on now!" he said sternly. "Father needs to know! Anything about that project is crucial!"

"But...they want to use me...my DNA...to help what they are making..." it winced.

"Are you serious?!" he seethed.

"Yes. To make a...a breeding female of it...to make cures...I think..."

"Those fucking sons of bitches! I'll kill them all!" he snarled. "No one touches you!"

The moment the submarine door open, he charged into the station with a fury. Then he paused in confusion. Alex was standing there in his normal form with his arms crossed over his chest. Robert was there in his military uniform to glare at him. All of the new breeder males were there, too, with drones from varying sides.

"Good job. Go help in the kitchen. We have it from here," Alex nodded.

"Yes, my King and Emperor," the drone of Lynette said and dropped the guise. Sakuma's jaw dropped with horror at the lesser drone of Kim, but it was from a breeder couple from the blond hair.

"Welcome to my home. I have a few things to ask you and discuss. If you go against me, you will die," Alex said bluntly. "And, before you ask, I'm Project Zeus."

"My sister..." Sakuma said with despair.

"She's dead," Alex said with a light shrug. "Her body was taken over, and that was the one you met first. Her DNA was not needed, though. Just her body and form. Same with John's. As to why, well, they betrayed Robert."

"Yeah. Me," Robert sighed. "They spied on me in my own home."

"My sister...wasn't a part of..." Sakuma grieved, as tears fell. Any nerves he had were gone at the knowledge that his sister was dead. She was his best friend and his strength to continue living. He had nothing now that she was gone.

"Ah, fuck. He's a crier," Alex snorted. "Grow a set of balls!"

"Fuck you," Robert muttered. "Let him be. Give him some time to recover. Some of us  _are_  still human here, you know."

"Unfortunately," Alex grumbled and sped off to see to Agatha.

"He's a fuck head. Anyways, yes. She's gone. As much as I wouldn't have preferred it, there was no choice. She saw too much and would have been in the way," Robert sighed.

"And me..." Sakuma swallowed. "Am I to die, too?"

"You don't have to," he said with a slight smile. "If you follow me, I'll explain a few things to you, okay? But, if you decide it's not for you, you will die."

"Hikari...I promised to protect her...I..." Sakuma shivered.

"The moment she partnered with John, she was dead. You knew this, too."

"I kept trying to convince her to come home. To leave America. To..."

"I know," Robert nodded. "John's body was taken over, too. He is now used by us."

"For what purpose?"

"Global domination."

"What?"

"It's...a pretty long tale."

"Fine. Tell me what you can," Sakuma trembled. It wasn't like he had a choice, anyways. They all knew it.


	34. Chapter 34

It took three hours for everything to sink in. Sakuma was simply horrified at the project that John was funding under everyone's noses. It sickened him even more that his sister was supposed to have been the female strain for Agatha. When the other men came into the confinement room he was in, they told him how they got there. Everything was laid bare to him now. He was still hurting over the death of his sister, and they all knew it. They were very careful with how they said everything to try to keep him calm and focused.

"Now you know everything," Robert nodded. He was sitting across from him at a small table in the room. "And now...you know that you have a choice."

"Join you or die," Sakuma shivered. "To ally with killers of my sister? To shame my family by going against them? To know that I would help bring the world to its knees? I should say no. I should say to kill me now. But..."

"But?" Robert asked.

"Tell me. What was the real reason that John wanted Hikari for?" he asked.

"If you want to know," Robert said carefully. "Your family is involved rather deeply with highly technical warfare. She was his link to that."

"I fucking knew it...!" Sakuma hissed. "He was probably fucking her on the side, too!"

"He was," Robert nodded.

"For all it's worth, I'm glad he got killed by the same project he created," he said with a trembling form of rage. "I'm still at a loss on my decision."

"If you show us neutrality, I can introduce you to Project Hera. Her name is Agatha."

"She is here?"

"Yes. And guarded to the teeth. She also has ways to defend herself, too. Also, her blood is a cure for the infections that go around on the island. In fact, I haven't even gotten sick, now that I think about it. Anyways, if you want to meet her, I can escort you to her with a couple of my sons," Robert nodded. "If they are busy, it may be the drones."

"Okay. She cannot come here?" Sakuma asked, as he rose up.

"She's very pregnant right now. She can't move much," Robert chuckled. "Come along. Just keep your temper down, okay?"

"Of course," Sakuma nodded. Robert calmly led him out of the room, and several drones appeared to follow them. Various drones were easily guarding every hallway and room entrance. They never shifted out in cycles. They never needed to sleep. As they approached Agatha's section with the meat locker, Robert turned as his attention was caught.

"Father!" Hermes said, as he jogged over. Sakuma gaped in shock at what this breeder male looked like.  _He appeared to have been made from a Japanese manga!_

"Hermes? What's up?" he asked.

"Are you going to see Mother?" Hermes asked.

"I was with Sakuma. Why? Is something wrong?" Robert asked.

"Wait ten minutes. She went into labor," he winced. "Is your room ready?"

"Oh! Yeah, it is. Nick should be able to help," Robert nodded. "Why didn't the drones tell me? Oh. They're pretty focused on him, huh?"

"Yeah. Mother wanted me to make sure I told you. Rhea is almost a toddler, though. You should swing by and see her when you can!" Hermes grinned.

"I'll make plans to!" Robert chuckled. "How's Carlos?"

"He's offering to play as baby-sitter as needed. It really isn't, but, if he's going to be her stud, it would be best that she knows who he is. It's for the best," he shrugged.

"Rhea?" Sakuma asked.

"My daughter. She was born yesterday, and she's a full-blooded Queen," Hermes nodded. "She grows a year in a day."

"What?!" Sakuma gaped at this news. "I mean...I was told about breeders and stud males, but...a full Queen?"

"If you decide to help make Queens and Kings, a special female will be birthed for you by Agatha. She's the only one that can do this," Robert said. "It's how Dana got Hermes, as well as Ragland with Hariti. Only Agatha can create the specialty breeders needed."

"I see. And, as you said, the studs can help the Queens create viable breeders," Sakuma said, as he pieced it together. "So...you would see me as a stud? Or as one to create Kings and Queens?"

"If you join us, that choice would be for you. Queens and Kings are going to be exceptionally rare, since only one at a time can be made. Breeders are the next uncommonly found, due to them being less in creation. Drones are the main meat and backbone. You can find them everywhere," Robert said. "But, now I have to ask. What do you see yourself being?"

"I still don't know. I would be siding with those that killed my sister..." Sakuma frowned. "It...still hurts to think about it."

"How has your family treated you?" Hermes asked now.

"Not very well. They sort of pushed me aside when I still wanted to speak with my sister. As much as they love her, they disregarded her while she was on American soil. If she came back to Japan, it would have been as though nothing was wrong. She was regarded as someone that simply wasn't spoken of at meals or gatherings. It was as though she was already dead. When I tried to speak of her, I would get glares and harsh warnings."

"And, when you decided to come here? Does your family know that you are here?" Robert asked. "Or...did you come over in secret?"

"As if my family would have let another of us come here! I snuck over. I bought my own ticket with my own funds. They have no idea. All I said was that I was going on an outing with a few friends. That usually means a hiking trip for a few days. I was supposed to go back to them in the next day or two. If I don't appear, they will look for me," Sakuma winced.

"We can fix that with a drone taking some of your blood," Hermes nodded. "We can send in a replacement."

"You'd end up killing my family. Wouldn't you?" he asked.

"There are times that we don't have to. We can stage it to where you can die. A car wreck, or a plane crash, even. You remain here, the drone we send in your place gets destroyed. They've done it before. However, your family does have the links to military secrets and tech that we may need. We would find a way to make it work. We can always take over a few employees using the drone with your form as a means to get into where we have to go. Your memories would be transferred with the blood we get from you. No one would know the difference," Robert shrugged. They stepped aside, as drones started to walk past them with the massive breeder eggs. Sakuma stared in complete and absolute shock at them. "Oh, good! My kids were born. Eh, laid, I guess. She births them normally, but they come out like that. In about five to six hours, they'll appear as adults and ready to move."

"Just like that?!" Sakuma said with disbelief.

"Of course. That's the way it is with stud males. With Queens and Kings, it will be one at a time. An actual baby is born, and that's the main difference, you see? There's only ten breeders born as eggs. Almost a hundred of the drones, though. It's fifty at first. Then it builds up with each pregnancy," Robert explained. "Is your Mother free and clear? Or do we have to wait an hour for Alex?"

"My King and Emperor will allow you to visit with her before he's with her," Hermes smiled. "I need to get back to Dana and Rhea. Hopefully, Sakuma, I'll see you around. If not...well...you're a great guy to talk to. It would be a waste to see you get killed."

"Um...thanks...I guess," Sakuma frowned. He watched the breeder male leave, and he was deep in thought.  _It was just like I was talking to one of my brothers._  It made an odd feeling go through him. He did feel out of place with his family when his sister left.  _And, with these creatures, I could still be with her if they had her face, form, and memories._   _I was perfectly relaxed with that one drone that had her form. Even with Isis. They knew just how to act like her. It was as though she was still alive and talking to me as she normally would._  On this realization, he knew what his answer would be.

"Come on. You can meet with Agatha," Robert smiled lightly. Sakuma nodded, and he followed the older man. At the sight of the meat locker, he paled a bit at the various meats it held, but he continued to follow. When he went into the lavishly done room, he paused with complete surprise at the inhuman beauty in the bed.

"Oh! You must be Sakuma," Agatha smiled softly. "I am Project Hera. A pleasure to meet with you. Do you need to sit down?"

"I may have to..." the young man blinked. A chair was brought over for him by Kim, and he found himself sitting down. Alex was giving a mild glare at him from where he reclined on the bed. Agatha was leaning into him. When Sakuma took in the surroundings, he paused at the sight of the massive tentacle that was just off to his right and filled with dozens of nearly formed eggs. His heart started to pound with a form of amazement and fear.

"Those are drones. I keep the breeders in my room," Robert chuckled. "Hello, asshole! Sorry to cock block you, but Sakuma needed to visit her."

"Fuck you, dipshit!" Alex snorted. Since Agatha wasn't pregnant, she could tolerate the bickering again. She gave each of them a look to get them grinning mischievously at her.

"Both of you need to grow the fuck up!" she smirked to get them laughing. "Fucking morons, I swear! Sorry. The kids in the room can't seem to take a hint unless I'm carrying eggs. Immature little fuckwads, aren't they?"

"Hey..." Robert frowned. Alex bit down his own laugh and let her lean into him a bit more. That actually had Sakuma smile a little. She sighed and shook her head.

"I...did come to a decision, actually," Sakuma started.

"Oh?" Alex asked with a small glare.

"Just ignore him. He's an asshole," Robert said with a light nudge.

"Fuck off," Alex growled.

"Will both of you  _please_  shut the fuck up and let him talk?!" Agatha scowled.

"Sorry," Alex said. "He started it, though."

"My bad," Robert muttered.

"As you were saying?" Agatha said with a soft chuckle.

"I...would like to join with you, but..." Sakuma frowned. "I want to stay with the one that has my sister's face and form. The original one."

"With Osiris and Isis?" Robert frowned.

"So, a drone won't work?" Alex asked.

"I'm sure it would, but...this way it would seem like I'm still with my sister. I can help protect her. I promised I always would. Even though her spirit is gone...I just..." Sakuma swallowed. "I just need to be near her, somehow. In some way."

"Hmm..." Agatha mused. "I doubt a breeder can take a stud. It hasn't been tried, though. What do you think?"

"I doubt it would work. He could possibly live with them, but he would either need to be a stud to a Queen, or he would have to help make Queens and Kings. If he does either, it's best for him to remain here. I doubt that Osiris or Isis would want to leave where they are," Alex said. "But, now comes the question. Would you want to make Queens and Kings? Or be a stud male for a Queen?"

"I think I would rather make a new generation than help be a part of it," Sakuma said.

"So, you want to make Queens and Kings," Robert nodded. "Okay. However, you won't be able to live with Isis or Osiris. We can have the drone that had your sister's face and form here. All of the memories she had will be shared through the drone, too."

"Oh!" Sakuma blinked. "I...I guess that could work."

"That reminds me," Agatha sighed. "Alex, apparently it was the sperm made for you that triggered the need for the special breeders. Only you can help me make them."

"You're right," Alex nodded. Then he gave a mild glare at Robert to show he was superior. He scowled at the pinch Agatha gave him to snap him out of it.

"Ragland knows now from Hariti. He'll get another batch ready," she smiled. "Sakuma, if you go to the lab, you will get an injection of my blood to free you of any infections and illnesses. Then a room will be granted to you to help you stay here. Please give over some blood so that we can get a clone made of you to take your place in society."

"Thank you," he said, and he bowed to her with respect. "Ah, my suitcase and things..."

"When we get to Japan, any of your belongings will be sent to you. You can help us find out where the safest places could be to start gaining a foothold there. Isis will also send your suitcase down that you brought out with you. We also want to see about getting some Wagyu beef cattle down here," she chuckled.

"Now I'm glad I'm staying here," Sakuma found himself laughing. "Wagyu beef is a weakness of mine. Ah, can you speak Japanese? If not, I could try to teach you."

" _There is no need to teach me. From your sister's memories, I know how_ ," Agatha said with a perfect accent and quite fluent. "Also, when a female is made for you, I will need you here to bond with the egg when it's ready to form. You'll figure it out when it happens. Likely not until I'm with Robert again. He's my stud male, you see."

"Can you accept other studs?" Sakuma asked.

"No!" Robert snapped quickly. That got Alex rather intrigued.  _Robert was jealous._ "If you become a stud, you can't make Queens or Kings."

"Ah," Sakuma nodded and wisely backed down. "I'll go to the lab."

"The drones will lead you," Robert nodded. When he left, Alex grinned ruefully at Robert. "And you can shut the fuck up!"

"Don't like the competition?" Alex kept grinning.

"You don't, either," Robert smirked. That got him rewarded with a dirty look.

"Robert, go check on Rhea. Alex needs to fuck me to help me feel better," Agatha said lightly. He managed to nod and left rather stiffly.

"One stud to a Queen?" Alex mused.

"As Empress, I should get two, but I don't want that," she admitted. "I'd feel like I was just...giving myself over to another..."

"Hera..." he whispered and moved to hug her shivering form. "No one else deserves to touch you. You are not a toy. You are not a whore. You are my mate. The mother of a vast army. If anyone else wants to touch you, they have to go through  _me_  first!"

"Zeus..." she sighed with comfort, as he cradled her. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Hera..." he whispered hoarsely. She looked at him, and they kissed fiercely. This was the first time he openly told her he loved her. It made the next hour of mating seem that much more intimate between them both.


	35. Chapter 35

It was another day and a half that went by when Steve and Sakuma were called over to Agatha. It was time for them to bond with the breeder eggs in her body.

"Sakuma, I need you to press your hand here," Agatha said, as she pointed to the top of her belly. "And, um, Steve, press here."

She pointed to the base of her belly for him. A sharp gasp escaped her from the intense pressures that were done to cement the bond to them. Alex supported her and kept watch on the two humans to ensure that nothing went wrong. The moment the pain eased up, she sighed with relief and slunk back into the pillows.

"That's all it took?" Steve asked.

"Yes. When she births the eggs, we'll get you. Go shovel more cow shit in the meantime," Alex mumbled. Steve seemed to scowl, but he nodded all the same. It was one of his chores. As they left the room, Sakuma looked at Steve.

"What?" he asked.

"You let him talk to you like that?" Sakuma frowned.

"It's best to just let him do what he likes. Stay out of his way, and you live longer. Trust me in this. Granted, they see us a bit as their pets. But, when I start making Kings and Queens for them, I'll have a bit more respect. I'll be helping them make special kids. It's partly why I wanted to do it. He'll give you some leeway, too, when your girl is with you. If it wasn't for Geb and Sekhmet, I'd be dead, as it is."

"As you told me," Sakuma nodded. "There is one thing that I am worried about."

"What's that?" Steve asked, as they sat in the mess room. They were able to order what they wanted, and they continued to talk as they waited.

"I was told that the girl destined for me may appear to be what my subconscious holds. I think my destined girl may resemble my sister," he said with a sigh. "It's not that I desired her at all. It's just...she is the only thing on my mind now."

"Hey, guys! I couldn't help myself when I overheard what you guys were talking about through my drones. So, I'd like to help you out," Dionysus grinned, as he sat down. "I'm Dionysus, by the way. I talked to Dana, too, before she met Hermes. Sakuma, what you are talking about, with your sister possibly being a strong resemblance, well, you may be right. You may also be wrong. The one that will be for you would look like a girl you always wanted to be with. Granted, I sleep with my sister. We were bound since the womb. So, sleeping with your sister isn't frowned on at all here! But, I can understand what you're thinking."

"But, that's my problem. I never really wanted to be in a relationship before. One of my brothers is into other guys, but I was always into girls. I just never really had a specialized preference. My sister was my best friend. We always talked about everything. It's why I was so upset...when I learned..." he shivered.

"Best not let your brother know about us. He won't be useful," Dionysus shrugged. "Anyways, the only way to know is to wait and find out, right?"

"True. But...if she does resemble my sister..." Sakuma sighed.

"You took Mother's blood. Everyone is practically made up of her blood, or they have it in her system. We are all related. As Father has said, and I quote, 'We are one giant, red-neck, viral family!' You may as well get used to it," Dionysus smirked. Steve groaned and started to laugh at it. Sakuma put his palm on his face and shook his head. Then he thought and decided to ask a question that was bothering him.

"Dionysus," Sakuma started. "there was something your father got offended at when I asked. It won't happen, since I want to make Queens and Kings, but I am curious."

"Hmm? Oh! With the whole extra stud with Mother? Stop your thoughts right now and get rid of them. Think of it this way. One stud to one Queen. Period. There would be way too much rivalry that can happen. It's safer and easier to work with. One stud and one mate. Granted, Mother could have two studs from how special she is, but why? When she was to come back after killing my King and Emperor, she was going to be used by every man on this station. She was going to become a simple sex toy. Then dismantled and her very bodily essence would have been distributed to the highest bidders. Just the thought of her being used by another...it hurt her badly," Dionysus frowned. Steve could only nod at how understanding that could be.

"I see," Sakuma nodded. "Would I need a stud male for my destined girl?"

"No. She's a hundred percent yours only. If Hermes learned that Dana needed another man, he'd be livid! So, don't worry about that. You don't share your girl with anyone else. There will be no need to," the breeder male nodded.

"Good," Sakuma smiled.

"It's also why I wanted to make Kings and Queens. I don't need to share," Steve chuckled. "I'm happy knowing that I get a girl that will just want to be with me."

"How fast will they want to start being with me?" Sakuma asked.

"Hermes was ready the moment he hatched. It was the same with all of us. However, it took Dana some time to accept him. It's best to get to know your girl. Talk to her. Understand where she's at. Hermes was a horny bastard when he got to Dana! It was kinda funny! Oh, shit!" Dionysus cringed when Hermes charged at him.

"You're every much the horny bastard, too!" Hermes snorted. "Don't deny it!"

"Oh, come on! Osiris and Isis make Athena and I look like we're playing pretend!" Dionysus scowled. "They'd stop and fuck in a public park if the mood hit them!"

"Okay, you win this argument," Hermes nodded. "Just admit it. You're also a horny bastard, too. Then I'll leave."

"Please!" Dionysus muttered. Then he paused at a mental image that Athena sent him. He pursed his lips together before working his teeth over them. "Athena is a very craft bitch when she's horny as hell. I gotta go."

"So, you are a horny bastard?" Hermes grinned wickedly.

"As of right now, yes," Dionysus nodded and left the room to find his mate.

"In case neither of you noticed, I'm the asshole of the group! Dionysus seems to forget that. I simply had to come over here to prove it and earn my keep!" Hermes grinned and winked. Then he left to join Dana and his daughter. Steve and Sakuma looked at each other and busted up laughing at what they just witnessed. After their food was served, it took them a bit of time to calm down just to eat their meals. They were still snickering and coughing down laughter when they retired to their rooms to wait out the next few hours.


	36. Chapter 36

When the eggs were ready to be birthed, Sakuma and Steve were summoned quickly. They were told to wait until Agatha was done giving birth. Alex refused to let anyone into the room until she was done. Hermes, Dionysus, and Apollo were there to see what the new breeder females would look like. When they knew it was clear, the breeder males gestured to the men to follow them in. Dionysus did give them one simple order.

"Speak when spoken to," he muttered. "Mother is weak. My King and Emperor is on guard. He won't hesitate to slaughter either of you right now."

They both swallowed and nodded. Nick and Kim were standing along the back wall to watch them carefully. The special breeder eggs would be stored in the room under Agatha's watchful guard. When the eggs were revealed, Steve blinked at what he knew was going to be his girl. He was amazed that she resembled a sleeping teenager with sun-blond hair. She also appeared to have a soft speckling of freckles. She could have resembled a country girl through and through. There wasn't much else he could make out until she hatched.

Sakuma could only gaze in wonder at the sleeping Oriental beauty in her egg. Her hair was incredibly long and pitch black in color. Her skin was the color of alabaster, and her figure looked incredibly slender. She almost appeared to be one of those ancient Japanese dolls of Geisha women holding their fans and umbrellas in her build. She also appeared to have a slight Anime twist with the way her face was so gracefully slender. She looked nothing like my sister.

"A very interesting set of breeder females," Alex mused. "Good job."

"Thanks," Steve muttered.

"Amazing..." Sakuma said with a deep breath of fascination.

"They'll be moving about in about five hours. Possibly six," Hermes nodded. "We let them pick their own names, just so you know. They tend to go off of names of gods and goddesses. Like the rest of us."

"So, that explains it," Steve thought.

"Yes. Project Zeus and Project Hera. It would make sense," Robert nodded. "Not much else to do for now. Just head back to your rooms and take it easy."

"Sakuma, I would like to speak with you," Agatha said. Alex helped her sit up, and Sakuma stayed while Steve was shown the door with the breeder males. When he was alone with Alex, Robert and her, he looked at her with interest. "As you know, your family has various technical weapons and development at their fingertips. Our drone of you has made it back to Japan and has taken over your old routines. It was able to bring over my children, Demeter and Hephaestus, too. They are now settled in the outskirts of Tokyo. There is some population, but not by much."

"How did they fit in?" Sakuma asked.

"Homeless people are abundant there," Alex snorted. "They just had to pick and choose. Then the drone made them false identities to get a home. After that, it was done. They already started to move their drones into the city. Several of my drones swam out to meet them. As you know, I can't tolerate water. My drones with Agatha can withstand it easily. It's how you can eat the fish they bring in. We are going to start taking over various employees of the workplace. What we want to ask you is, do you know their shifts?"

"Wait..." Sakuma frowned. "many of these men have families, too. Not all of them are single workers. There is one man that I know of who is single and over-sees all of the scheduling. Ah...damn! When does he work again...?"

"We'll find out," Alex muttered. "Agatha? Are you all right?"

"I'm just...tired..." she sighed. Now Alex was alarmed. This was new. Looking at the others in the room, his glare had them leave quickly. When they were alone, he pulled her up to him and hugged her close.

"Hera, what is it?" he whispered.

"Is it possible...that I could feel a bit...worn out?" she trembled. "As though I feel like my duty is done? I...feel like I have...nothing left..."

"No!" Alex hissed and thought to a drone. Ragland was quickly brought in to evaluate her condition. He was able to get a shot of her blood to examine.

"I'll be as quick as I can," he said gently. Alex watched him leave, and he continued to cradle his mate close. She was starting to get listless. Something was clearly wrong.

"Mother!" Apollo shouted, as he ran in.

"Mother! No!" Hermes gasped when he charged back in. Dionysus was in next with his own intense show of worry. Now Alex glared at them all with a look for explanation.

"Mother...feels that her job is done giving eggs," Apollo swallowed. "If she does, she will have no purpose. She needs to feel that this is important to her!"

"Now that Rhea is born, she feels that she can step down. If she does, I fear for the worst," Hermes said. "Mother, we need you! We can't create the breeding males or females for our Kings and Queens! If you deteriorate, I'll miss you, too."

"Mother, you are the Empress. Without you, we have nothing," Dionysus said gently.

"So...I am still needed?" she asked softly.

"You are always needed. Not only for them, but for me," Alex said with a gentleness he only exposed for her. The kiss he gave her next helped revitalize her thoughts, but her body was still showing signs of weakness.

"I still feel so weak..." she shivered.

"I'm back!" Ragland said when he returned. "I found the problem."

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"Her cells are aging. She's getting older. There is a way to reverse it, but we will need the cells of her that were frozen. We have over a hundred of them. We will need to make more," Ragland said. "Think of one cell being like a fountain of youth to her. However, Dana may need to give over her female strand of DNA again. I can get enough from her to freeze and keep as an emergency back-up."

"She'll do it," Hermes said when he thought to his mate.

"I want to work on those cells myself," Alex said. "How many will be needed?"

"Just one. It will completely revitalize her. We may need to do this once to twice a year. Maybe more, if she starts to feel weak again."

"I'm glad I didn't destroy those cells," Alex muttered. "Let me talk to her alone."

"I'll be in the lab," Ragland nodded. Her sons were able to hug their mother before they left. When it was the two of them again, Alex kissed her hard.

"So...it's because of old age?" she frowned.

"You've been giving birth so often that you feel worn out. I wonder if you'll be a virgin again," he grinned. Then he thought of something and winced. "I just remembered. I'll have to fuck you right away after your body mends itself. I'll have to reclaim you as my mate."

"Do you think so?" she asked.

"It's highly possible. This also means that you'll give out less drones again. It's as though you hit your peak of drone making before everything shuts down. I'll have a lot of your extra cells made. You can count on that."

"How long has it been? A few months?" she thought.

"Yes. About that long. Maybe three. Hard to tell down here," he frowned. "Let me get the cell for you. I'll inject that first. Then I'll give you Dana's DNA. I'll fuck you with everything I have after that. You have my word."

"Okay," she smiled, and he gave her a branding kiss before leaving her side. Robin was barring the door from all but Alex now. It was a precaution that had to be done. When he got to the lab, he went to find her cells first. One was carefully selected and set up in a specialized solution for injection. Ragland had just finished a prep shot with DNA from Dana.

"Here you go," the doctor nodded. "Hariti hopes it works. She's very concerned, too."

"Well, if your diagnosis is right, then there will be no issues," Alex nodded. "Thanks."

"Of course," Ragland nodded. "It's thanks to you and her that I have the woman of my dreams! I'll do whatever I can to help Agatha pull through."

Alex nodded and they shook hands. Then he said, "Oh. Make sure those cells are completely secured! I want nobody to fucking touch them!"

"Loud and clear!" Ragland nodded sternly. "You will be the only one allowed."

"Good," Alex grounded out. He took the two precious shots and went back into the bedroom. What he saw on the bed had him gaping with disbelief. Agatha was literally starting to fall apart from how her skin was starting to sag off of her. She was aging rapidly now. At her glance of complete distress, it snapped him out of it. He took out the needle with her cell and jabbed it into her gut to give it to her. She cried out from the pain of it, and fell back on the pillows when the injection was complete.

Very slowly, her body began to reform. That single, fresh cell spread like a wildfire within her. He actually felt a touch of pain from being close to her again, and he gasped. He had to evolve to be around her again like this, but he knew it would just be this once. In a sense, she was freshly born whole again. Her other kids and drones would be fine, as they came straight from her, but I have to get strong around her again.

"Zeus?!" she whispered, as he appeared to be in pain.

"I'm fine...!" he hissed out. His body quickly overpowered the pain and evolved to be stronger around her. Another deep breath was given with a nod. "The new cell gave you back your ability to hurt me, but not by much. It was more like a stinging sensation. I'm better, though. I evolved again to be with you. I doubt it will happen again."

"I hope not," she sighed. When she saw the shot with Dana's DNA, she nodded. "Okay. Give me the shot. I don't know how I'll be, though."

"I know," he said. He gave her the injection and set both empty needles aside. Right after that, before she had a chance to move from his side, he slid over her and coated himself over her skin. He had to do it in this instinctive way to reclaim her. Even at her shout of pain when he took her again, he simply let his body do what needed to be done. For a solid hour, he seeded her to prove that she was his. That no one else could claim her.

"Zeus..." she whispered, and he kissed her when he reformed next to her.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"I'm fucking starving!" she growled. At the large grin he gave her now, she giggled at him and got caught up in his hug. My mate was back. A kiss was pressed to her forehead, and she watched him leave to start bringing in some food for her. The next few hours were dedicated completely to her recovery.


	37. Chapter 37

It was getting close for the breeder females to hatch. Steve and Sakuma were nervous. They weren't sure what to expect. They were told to wait in an area fashioned to be like a lounge. Karl and Carlos were there, too. They were just as curious as to what these new breeder girls were going to be like. At the same time, they were both a touch jealous.

"Man, I wouldn't mind having a girl of my own," Karl frowned.

"Same thing, here," Carlos nodded. "But, I'm all right with the path given to me. I'll be protected and proving my worth. I'll do what I can to stay alive."

"It's all we can do," Steve shrugged.

"It will seem strange. I mean...they will be newborns!" Sakuma frowned. One of the drones for Dionysus was listening in, and the breeder male showed up quickly. At his smile and wave, Steve and Sakuma waved back.

"Pep talk time!" Dionysus grinned.

"Is Hermes around?" Steve grinned back at him.

"He's busy with Rhea," Dionysus smirked. "Like I said, I talked to Dana, too. Just think of the girls as blind dates coming in from out of town. They won't look like newborns. Hell, they may be just as horny as Hermes was! And they'll never cheat on you, either. They were both made for each of you. Just keep that in mind."

"I know," Sakuma nodded. "I honestly had no clue as to what my subconscious had in store for me. It's like...I'm completely amazed!"

"Does she look like a newborn?" Dionysus asked.

"Far from it," he admitted.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Steve asked.

"Another ten minutes. They're, ah, freshening up," the breeder male chuckled.

"They already hatched?!" Karl blinked.

"Yep!" Dionysus grinned. "They're just getting dressed now, choosing names for themselves, getting acquainted with Mother, Father and my King and Emperor...the usual stuff."

"Okay," Sakuma said with a nervous smile. In Agatha's bedroom, the breeder females had dressed and were fixing their hair up. Steve's destined female had long, blond hair that would look cute up in pig-tails, but she had her hair bound back in a tight pony-tail for now. Her lightly rounded, freckled face had a rather adorable country look, and her pastel blue eyes were the high-light over her slightly upturned, tapered nose. She had full lips, a rather curvaceous, yet fit physique, and she had a rather chirpy tone.

"Do you have a name?" Agatha smiled.

"Yes, Mother! Um, I chose Amunet. He could call me Amanda, too," she giggled. "To make it better, if he wants to. It would seem similar."

"That it does," Robert chuckled.

"And you?" Alex asked when he looked over at Sakuma's female. She was just like Agatha in a perfection of Oriental beauty. Pale, marble skin gave her a look of otherworldly grace, and long, pitch black hair was done up in a loose bun. Her steel-grey eyes accented her round, yet narrow face with a form of authority and a touch of gentle disposition. Her lips were thin, yet full in the center. Her figure was slender, but she had a generously proportioned set of hips and breasts. She was another Manga figure in that aspect.

"I have," she said in a rather soft tone. "I choose Amaterasu as my name."

"Very pretty," Robert chuckled.

"The Japanese goddess of beauty. It suits you," Agatha smiled with a nod.

"Thank you, Mother," Amaterasu blushed delicately. Amunet had dressed in a crop top and shorts to compliment her figure. Amaterasu had chosen a light gown with a robe over it. Now that they were dressed and presentable, the drones led them to the lounge room. Dionysus got the mental note, greeted his new sisters first with a soft, brotherly hug, and left the area. Amunet walked in first, and Steve's jaw dropped.

"Hi! I'm Amunet! You can call me Amanda, too, okay?" she giggled.

"Wow...ah...um..." Steve blinked. Karl whistled softly, and Carlos ran a hand over his face at the female that walked into the room. Then their jaws dropped when Amaterasu walked in. For some reason, Steve had no eyes for her. Amunet had clearly claimed his heart instantly.

"I am Amaterasu. I give you greetings," the Oriental beauty whispered. Sakuma swallowed and rose up nervously.  _I'll kill anyone that touches her._  He knew this now. Glancing at the other two men in the room that were staring with disbelief at his new wife, he gave out a growl that he never had before. Steve was clear. He had no interest at all.

"My room. Now," Sakuma muttered. Amaterasu chuckled, nodded, and followed him out. Steve made an odd sound to Amunet, and she rewarded him with a tittering giggle of bouncy laughter. Steve and Amunet had no problems cementing their bond. Sakuma was struggling with himself, and Amaterasu could only understand his problem.

"I am made for you. This is what you wanted. Am I...not good enough?" she frowned.

"No! You're perfect. Too perfect! I just...I don't know what to think..." Sakuma trembled. "I don't know what to do..."

"We can talk," she said gently and sat on the bed. Her soft patting for him to sit with her was enough coaxing for him. "I will have whatever disposition you want me to have. Isis can easily give me the memories of your lost sister, too. I can have her mindset."

"You can?!" Sakuma asked with disbelief.

"Oh, yes," Amaterasu chuckled with a soft nod. "If you want me to be a badass bitch, I can do that, too. Or, I could be a timid little flower for you to protect."

"I just...I want you to be yourself. To choose your own personality. I don't want to control you. I just..." he sighed. "I want you to find yourself."

"And I will. With you," she whispered. He looked at her with a form of despair, and they kissed passionately.  _This was my wife. My new mate._ As much as he hated to admit it, he was glad that his sister left for America now.  _I would have never met this wonderful female. I would have been constantly searching for my true match. My family would be in complete shock if they saw her._  He already knew that he had no plans to show off.  _She is my treasure. My own personal secret._ He would guard her with everything he had.

"My family...would never believe me...if they heard about you..." he muttered through the kiss. "They would be...shocked...stunned..."

"If they tried...to tear you from me...I'll tear them apart!" she seethed. He looked at her now with a touch of a wicked smile. She echoed that smile. They were fully bonded now, and, like Steve and Amunet, they were quick to cement it. However, back in the lounge area, there were two men that were clearly not happy with their situation now.

"I know I said that I was happy with my station. Now I take it back," Carlos growled.

"Those girls are just...they were perfect!" Karl grimaced. "And we'll be forced to share one? I mean...fuck..."

"So, you don't want to be a stud male for my daughter?" Hermes asked, as he walked in. Dionysus was with him. "I thought you were happy with that. Granted, the new females you saw were beautiful. But, they were based on their subconscious thoughts. My daughter's beauty will surpass theirs. All Queens will have a form of beauty as great as Mother's beauty. My daughter is already revealing that beauty. In about two weeks, she'll be an adult. She's a toddler right now. So, ask yourself this. Do you want to wait two days for a girl of your own? One that will give you one child at a time? Or do you want to help in two weeks from now with a girl that will give you an army of children every other day? You may as well decide now."

"It's just...a girl isn't even born for me, yet," Karl started.

"Yet. Ragland's mate, Hariti, is pregnant with a female. I'm starting to think that only Queens can be birthed. Kings will be made from Mother. That's how it's starting to look. You have about six days for Hariti to give birth. Then eighteen days for her daughter to grow up. Sometimes, as they say, it's worth the wait. What do you think?" Dionysus said.

"It's hard to think about. It's hard to wait, too," Carlos admitted. At the sight of Apollo walking in, Dionysus and Hermes were a bit surprised. Being a form of commanding authority at being the very first born and hatched, he was taking matters into his own hands.

"Hermes, go to Dana and your daughter. They want you. Dionysus, go back to Athena. She's ready to give birth. The two of you are stud males. Stick to it. It's worth the wait. If you want females of your own, you'll need to talk to Father, and our King and Emperor. I doubt he'll agree to your terms, but you can try. Good luck," Apollo said bluntly.

"Kill joy," Hermes muttered.

"Shut the fuck up and go to your family!" Apollo snapped. Now Dionysus looked at him with shock.  _Apollo was never one to swear._

"Who died and made you the boss?" Dionysus asked.

"Father told me to bring order here. Our King and Emperor has agreed with him. As the oldest, I'm putting in  _my_  keep! Don't fuck with me! Go!" Apollo ordered again. "And you two are needed to help in the kitchen. Kim wants to teach you both some cooking techniques."

When Carlos was about to argue, he remembered something that Steve said.  _Listen and obey. I'll live longer._ With a small nod of defeat, the two humans left the room, and the others dispersed back to their rooms.


	38. Chapter 38

Alex was amused at what Apollo did. Even Robert was grinning a bit wickedly.

"Looks like Apollo grew a set of balls," Alex smirked.

"About time one of them did," Robert agreed. They were walking down a hall towards the cloning chambers to check on the new clones. "So, what's the plan?"

"Osiris is sending in a group of military jar-heads. These are the ones with the massive egos and think that nothing can go wrong," Alex grinned. "I want all of those fuckers to die."

"No breeding studs?" Robert asked.

"I don't need those egotistic fucks running around here. I'll end up killing them. However, if any do survive and meet Hermanubis and Sigyn, I'll let him make the call. If he thinks the survivors should live and are stud quality, they'll be sent here. If he doesn't like them, he'll kill them. He gained your attitude on the thrill of the hunt, you know. I noticed that. Sigyn also seems to sense weaknesses and plants thoughts in others, too. He wants to stay on the island. Sigyn also gained a taste for human flesh when it's char-broiled in different ways. She says it's like...a hearty pork. I'm not gonna let Agatha have any, though."

"I wouldn't," Robert shivered. "Oh. How is she doing? Agatha? Since the new cell was given to her?"

"It's like I'm starting all over again with drone eggs. Not much of a choice. I do have more cells being made, though. It's why we're here," Alex said, as they reached the chamber. There were several large, glass tubes that were empty for full body reconstruction. There was one pool of water that was somewhat murky with new cells being formed in a special solution. The cells couldn't merge together, but they grew stronger. The best ones would sink to the bottom. Those would be collected through a miniscule sieve. Several of Alex's drones were watching them around the clock.

"What do you do with any defective cells?" Robert asked.

"I destroy them," Alex muttered. "I take no chances."

"Agreed," he nodded. "Do you think you could do the same with the kids?"

"Hmm. I could. I'd need more resources, though. Think of that idea to Osiris, and have one of those drones come over here to talk to me," Alex mused. A drone was quickly sent over to show immense agreement to the idea.

"You will receive vials of blood from all that can give them," the blond-haired drone said. This one resembled Robin with the buff chest for the hammer arms. "Will different tubs be needed for solution baths?"

"Yes. I may need to convert another room," Alex sighed. "I can have two solution baths for males and females. When I have enough cells from that breeder pair, I can start on another set. Of course, the room constructed will be made to hold the cells. I may do the special breeders first. Maybe even Dana and Ragland. Agatha's blood is in them, too. Maybe you, too, Commander. Your own cells could reconstruct you."

"You don't have to call me that," Robert muttered.

"But, it's so much fun!" Alex grinned wickedly.

"Fuck you," he smirked. They both grinned now. "When is Agatha due to give birth?"

"Another two hours. It's the new set of breeders, too. I also noticed that the new drones haven't hatched yet. They just started to form. It's as though the wave is restarting itself. Good thing we have plenty out there already. It really is as though she was made completely whole again. I had to reclaim her as my Queen. I did that the moment I was able to."

"Hmm. That has me wonder," Robert thought. He glanced up, as Hermes suddenly ran in and braced himself in front of his father.

"Say. Nothing," his son warned.

"What's this about?" Alex growled dangerously.

"My King and Emperor is the only one suited for Mother. You know you won't have a foothold towards her. Neither will any of us," Hermes said sternly.

"You would dare to fucking think that you had a chance with Agatha and her new body?!" Alex seethed. When Hermes shook his head, he gave a small glare for an explanation.

"Not Father," Hermes said. He turned to face Alex with a sigh. "He was thinking one of us. A different male. I belong to Dana. The rest of us are already bonded. We have no need to be with Mother. If another male, like a stud, tries to be with her, I'm sure that you will cut them down. And, if Father even gets the mindset to try, I'll stop him with everyone else. You have my word. I'm sure that Mother will fight him off, too."

"Keep me away from Agatha when she needs a new cell," Robert sighed.

"Done," Hermes nodded. "None of us want you hurt, Father. Granted, you and my King and Emperor show signs of neutrality at all times. But, when you think like this..."

"Shut up," Alex muttered. "Before I forget that he's supposed to be my ally."

"Mother wants you both now," Hermes sighed.

"Fuck..." Alex sighed. Robert gave out his own sigh, too.

"Sorry," Hermes said with an apologetic look. "Mother read my thoughts."

"It's fine. Let's go talk to her," Robert nodded. Hermes sped off to see to Dana, and the two of them gave mild glances at each other.

"I will kill you, if you try to be with Agatha at any other time," Alex muttered.

"I know," Robert said evenly. They nodded to each other with that mutual understanding. When they got to Agatha's room, she gestured for them both to sit with her on each side of the bed.

"Did you settle your differences?" she asked.

"For now," Alex nodded.

"What he said," Robert smiled.

"I think it's time that you both worked together," she said. "To build trust."

"I trust him just enough to fuck you. Isn't that enough?" Alex frowned.

"No. It isn't," she said.

"Cooking together doesn't count?" Robert frowned.

"Not when you purposely try to burn each other with hot appliances," she growled.

"He handed me a hot pan and didn't give me a potholder!" Robert argued.

"It was a small burn, and you healed just fine," Alex said.

"Regardless!" Agatha said to get their attention focused again. "It's time to step this up a notch. I want Robert to help you out when I give birth to the breeders. I want him to help take them from me when I birth them."

"Agatha..." Alex said with a form of shock. He never permitted any others to handle the eggs as they came from her. Only after they were birthed.

"This will build the trust," she said sternly.

"I don't know. I might damage them..." Robert winced.

"You won't," she smiled. "They're your kids, too. You will be fine. Just watch how the first set are delivered. Then take the next set out. Swap that way."

"I can't let him!" Alex hissed.

"Why not?" she frowned. "It's our eggs. He will be careful on removing them from me. I know this for a fact. It will be fine."

"I'll trust him to carry the eggs to the breeder room. I can't let him take them from you," he said with a heavy frown. "It's an...instinct. I can't fight it. I'll be thinking that he will damage you in some way. I know how to remove the eggs. I know how to give them over safely. He can carry them. He hasn't done that yet. I just...can't let him assist in the birthing."

"I see," she said with a soft smile. "All right. I understand."

"I honestly do think that I might damage something," Robert swallowed. "I could never forgive myself if that happened."

"Since you both see eye to eye on this, I will accept your decision. Now you both need to work together again and cook something for me. I'm starving! And don't hurt each other! Apollo has agreed to make sure that it won't happen."

"You are having our son baby-sit us?" Robert asked with disbelief.

"Someone has to do it. Aphrodite just gave birth and will wait for him. He doesn't want to see me get pissed off anymore. None of the kids do. Be glad I'll have him do it instead of Dionysus or Hermes!" she smirked. "They would banter and bitch at you both for all the fuck-ups you do in the kitchen. In fact, they'd probably goad you both into fucking up and losing focus. As much fun as it would be, I'm sure that neither of you want to get pissed off at each other. Then that would just piss me off even more."

"All right. I get it," Robert sighed.

"You're a bitch," Alex said with a grin.

"You know it," she grinned back and kissed him. "Now get me something to eat."

"Fine," he nodded. Right before they were able to walk out the door, Agatha suddenly leaned over the bed and vomited. Alex swore violently at this at first, but then he remembered.  _She did the same thing with the first breeder set she was pregnant with. She didn't do it at any other time._ He knew she was weak and starving now.

"She got sick?!" Robert said with disbelief.

"First time again with the breeders. Remember?" Alex frowned. "She won't get sick anymore. Get her something. I'll clean this up."

"On it," Robert nodded. A drone was quick to help Alex clean up the illness on the floor. Once again, it was all bile. Ragland was called on just to make sure, and he confirmed that it was just like the first breeder pregnancy. Only after Agatha was eating, tended to, and comforted did they see to the next item on the list to tend to. And all of that was happening on the island.


	39. Chapter 39

The platoon that landed on the destined landing site had a vague idea of what to expect. They all looked the same with matching uniforms and gas masks. All that they were told was to retrace the steps that the previous recruits had taken. To find out what went wrong. The Commander drone was very stern and serious about the situation.

"Find out what happened. Get out alive," it told them. "We don't need another slaughter. The hospital may have some clues. Don't get cocky. You may be chewing on your balls, if you do. You six were chosen, because you were the best in your fields. Don't fuck up. Don't risk yourselves. Be defensive."

As if this group was going to listen to orders like that? They had survived quite a few missions with their bravado and pride. There was only one main problem now. All of them were used to being with those lower than their standards. All of them were equals. This included ego size. Now they all had decided to prove who was the better.

With each one-shot take down of a Hunter or infected human, the shooter would crow out for attention and brag. Snarls of hatred would come from the others to prove their worth to the group. As they got closer to the hospital, the drones knew it was time to push it up a notch. Just when another Hunter was brought down, one of the men held up a gloved hand for silence. The other five soldiers thought it was a joke for attention.

"What's it to you, Bruce?" the first soldier smirked.

"I heard somethin'. And it wasn't one of you fartin' around!" Bruce mumbled.

"Puh-lease!" another said with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm fuckin' serious, man! I heard somethin'! Big! And it's comin' right at us!" Bruce said with a pale look. Now the others laughed at him. He was actually telling the truth. When the Hunters started to become meat plants for the hive, the drones realized that Hunter buildings were trying to adapt by spitting out larger and larger Hunters. The drones continued to take them down like nothing. The largest Hunter that was ever produced now stood at forty meters tall at the shoulder, was fifty meters long and jam-packed with angry muscle mass. The roar it let out echoed through the empty streets and shattered open any existing windows.

"RUN! RETREAT!" the first man screamed. There was no way they could take it out. Just the sight of it lumbering down at a speed of thirty miles an hour had them all scrambling for cover. Their grenades wouldn't even penetrate through the thick layer of muscle. One man was caught by the leg with a massive claw spearing through the back of his calf. He screamed bloody murder, as he was dangled and ripped in half. When they all ran half a mile while it was distracted, they regrouped.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..." the third soldier panicked.

"The hospital! Where the fuck is it?!" the first man hissed out to maintain a form of order. Bruce was forcing himself to calm down. He refocused on the task now. All thoughts of ego were gone on the violent death of his teammate. He pulled up the digital map quickly from the small iPod at his side and found the location.

"Half a mile north!" Bruce said. "If we stick to cover, shouldn't be an issue."

"Tight spaces. Right," the first man nodded. "I don't think it can reach us through them. But...who knows what else can."

"Why...did I agree...to this...?!" the panicking man whimpered. A smack to the back of his head by another soldier brought him back around. "Ow! Okay! Plan?"

"Tight corners. Tight spaces. Half a mile north," the first man said. They all nodded. Two grueling hours later, they finally made it. For the first time in a long time, if someone killed something, they didn't brag. As much as they wanted to, none of them wanted to attract the attention of the giant Hunter that wanted to kill them.

Little did they know, it was already dead. When they left the scene, twenty drones worked together flawlessly to take it out in under two minutes with Hermanubis being there to deal the killing blow. None of them were harmed. The Hunters may be getting larger, but they all had the same intelligence. And Hermanubis made sure to be the one to kill any of the newer, larger Hunters that appeared. He was the one that loved the thrill of the hunt, after all.

From six in the group down to five, the soldiers started to traverse up the stairs. When they got closer to the top, the sound of Sigyn's giggling made them pause.

"This new Hunter meat is divine! We should send some to Mother!" she said.

"We will. There's at least a good four month supply from that last one," Hermanubis mused. He spoke out loudly to be overheard. He also had the entrance room from the stairs rearranged. He actually built it into a guest receiving chamber. The tentacles were removed from this small area. False walls were put up to give an illusion of calmness, and two false doors were built into the walls. One side of the wall was real for small portraits, a bookshelf, and a small table lamp to decorate it. The false walls were covered in a rich form of deep red wall paper with light ornaments that were nailed in to keep from shifting. Even the ceiling was fixed up with a rather lovely chandelier. The floor had a rather luxurious form of cream-colored carpeting. Everything looked far too nice, and that was the idea.

Hermanubis and Sigyn were calmly waiting for the soldiers to appear. He was sitting in a plush, dark brown leather recliner and reading a book. Sigyn was eating an elegantly cooked slice of the newly acquired Hunter meat at a hand-carved oak table. A small glass of red wine was sipped on lightly, and he had a small glass of sherry sitting at an end table near him, too. To them, it was just another day of enjoying each other and sharing a good moment.

When the door from the stairwell was kicked open, Hermanubis looked up with a slightly irritated look from the small novel he was reading.

"More guests?" Sigyn frowned when she looked over.

"You could have knocked, you know," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Anyways, why are you here? My sister and I are living here. No, we're not hurt. We're fine."

"How...?" Bruce stared with disbelief.

"Put the weapons down and relax, okay? There should be plenty of chairs for you. If there aren't, we can get some. No need to panic," the breeder male said lightly. The first man was staring at Sigyn's voluptuous form with rapt attention. "And stop staring at my sister. That's only going to piss me off."

"I thought there were six of you?" Sigyn asked. Another piece of Hunter meat was sliced off and eaten. "Hmm. Was I mistaken?"

"No. Some giant motherfucker came out of nowhere and killed him off," the fourth man in the group said. His senses were screaming at him that it was a trap.  _That we were all set up. But how? Something definitely wasn't adding up._

"How can you live here knowing that those...things...are out there?!" the fifth man asked. "And that giant fuck out there..."

"Oh! So that was the one our children just killed? The meat is wonderful!" Sigyn giggled. "Much more flavorful than the last one."

"We'll send some to Mother, okay," Hermanubis chuckled.

"You managed...to kill it...?" Bruce asked incredulously.

"Of course. We kill those things all the time," the breeder male shrugged in his own lightly bragging way. "You're talking about this one, right?"

The head of the giant Hunter was brought in by a drone, and all five men had their guns out ready to fire. On realizing that it was dead and now being mounted up like a wall trophy, they went into a form of shock.

"Father would be so proud!" Sigyn smiled.

"That he would! And to know that I brought down the killing blow, too. He'd be amazed," Hermanubis nodded. "The heart was a rather considerable size, too. We can send that to Mother. She'll love it."

"Oh! She will!" she beamed.

"How did you kill that thing?!" the first man asked. "Bullets couldn't hurt it!"

"I never use guns. I see them as a sign of weakness," Hermanubis smirked. "I prefer hand-to-hand combat. I like to feel what I'm killing, as I rip out the heart while it's still beating. It's a lot more...satisfactory. Don't you think?"

"How much more satisfactory?" Sigyn asked with amusement in her eyes.

"Just under sex with you," he grinned back.

"It had better be!" she chided.

"What?" Bruce asked.

"You guys...fuck each other...?" the third man in the group said with disgust.

"Yes. We do. It's not uncommon in my family," Hermanubis shrugged. "My family isn't really normal, anyways. And, I see you all still haven't put away your weapons. A pity."

"I don't think they trust us," Sigyn sighed. She got up now, as though ignoring the meat, but she would finish it later. The drones were already removing things from the room and taking down the walls. Now the tentacle nursery was revealed in full. Hermanubis stood up tall to let Sigyn press herself against him in an amorous way.

"They likely never will. You know how it works with humans. Anyways, I tried to play nice. I don't like it. So...we play hardball," Hermanubis said with a rather twisted, wicked grin. The five soldiers in front of him had no idea that another wall was set up behind them from their shocked horror. And they weren't prepared for the sudden launch of viral tissue that smacked into them from the breeder male's outstretched arm to plaster them to it. Their weapons were now leisurely removed and placed in a pile of other weapons that were being collected. When enough were collected, they would be shipped to Osiris to be repurposed for the military.

"The lot of you should be happy! You all have been chosen to help us!" Sigyn smiled.

"Fuck you, bitch!" the first man hissed. He was trying and failing to fight his bonds. Now he paled at the cold, heartless glare she gave him.

"I'd say to remove the masks, but I kinda like them. The less I have to see, the better, right?" Hermanubis smirked. "Father will be intrigued. My King and Emperor, well...he may kill them on site. Especially if they insult Mother."

"Can I kill the one that insulted me?!" Sigyn asked, as she glared at the first man.

"Hmm," Hermanubis frowned. "Mother says no. She'll kill him for you, if she must."

"I want to eat his heart, if she does!" Sigyn growled.

"Done," he nodded, pulled his sister close and kissed her hard in front of them. "You have that steak to finish first. We have the heart from that other human, too..."

"Okay," she nodded with a bit of tension. She clearly hated to be insulted. At the soft squeeze he gave her now, it calmed her down significantly.

"If you aren't pregnant when the next hunt happens, you can join me," he muttered. "You can even eat the heart as it's still beating within the Hunter. Will that make you happy?"

"How about I just eat you instead?" she murmured in his ear. That had him grinning at her. The five men were now fully ignored, as he escorted his horny sister to the bedchamber beyond the tentacle nursery area. And, just to spite the five men, the false room was reconstructed to give them something to look at.

As much as the breeder pair wanted to talk to them of their future plans, they knew that this group would need more than conversation to see reason. That was where Alex would come in when they got to the chamber. _Sometimes, it was best to show there was simply no way to decline._ He was an expert at getting his point across.


	40. Chapter 40

It was a day later that the five men would wake up in the chamber. Alex made sure that Agatha was pregnant with breeder eggs. He wanted Robert to keep that protective streak to ensure her safety. Hermes was busy dealing with a bouncy daughter with attention issues at her near six-day-old mark. She had the complete mindset and look of a six-year-old, and Dana clearly needed his help to keep her mentally attentive. As much as he wanted to confront the men to examine them, he simply couldn't.

"I'll keep an eye on them for you," Dionysus nodded.

"Remember. Being the asshole is my job!" Hermes muttered. "You can taunt them. I'm the one that needs to piss them off."

"Sure, sure!" was the response given before Hermes had to leave to help his mate. Two cloaked scout drones from the breeders and from Alex were in the room to spy for them. Alex was waiting at the double-paned mirror window to watch calmly. Unlike the last group, he wanted to slaughter this one. He wasn't impressed with any of them.

"The moment any of them say no, I'm not gonna fucking hesitate!" he growled.

"I know, my King and Emperor," Dionysus nodded. "One of them did panic. We found traces of shit in his underwear when Hermanubis had him undressed. He may be the only one that breaks. The other four...well...a bit iffy. I honestly don't know when the last time they bathed was! It was really gross."

"Were they given the wake up drug?"

"Not yet! Ready to wake up the little beauties?"

"May as well. No hidden weapons up their asses?"

"If there were, they wouldn't be here."

"Fine. Wake them," Alex nodded.

"Rhea! Get back here now!" Hermes growled. His daughter had neatly slipped out the door and was running amuck around the station.

"Daddy! No!" she squealed. Then she cried at the firm slap to her bottom for misbehaving. She was clearly testing her limits. Her brown eyes welled up with tears from the punishing spank, and she started to cry. Alex looked over, since they were right behind him, and he calmly walked over to them. Dionysus pursed his lips together, but he didn't intervene.

"Sorry, my King and Emperor. Dana had to take a nap, and I was going to see what I could do about lunch. She's tall enough to reach the door handle now," Hermes sighed.

"It's fine," Alex nodded. "Rhea. Look at me."

"Daddy's mean!" she whimpered. Then she looked at Alex and gasped. She had never really met him before like this. All that she was told was that he was a very dangerous person, and that it was because of him that she had her daddy. She knew that Robert was her grandfather, but Alex was someone that she had to be afraid of.

"If you don't listen to your dad," Alex said calmly. "you will listen to me. You don't want to listen to me. If you don't listen to your mother, then I will make you listen to me. I am  _much_ meaner than your mom or dad combined. Eventually, you will become a very powerful person. Not as powerful as me, but very special. If you make me mad, I will take away that power. Do as you're told. Eventually, you will grow up. You will know what you have to do. Until then, you listen to your parents."

"Um...um..." she trembled. Alex struck a fear in her that she couldn't describe. It was actually an instinct to listen and obey this one. _He was the Emperor. His word was law._

"Do we have an understanding?" he said with a small smirk. He was only being nice to her, because she was a Queen. He didn't want her to feel isolated by him. He only had to put her in her place. The tactic worked. "I'm not always mean. I know you want to play and have fun. But, right now, that needs to be done with your dad. Not out here."

"Okay," she nodded. She moved into her father's protective embrace and shivered. Then she blinked at the small pat that Alex gave her to the top of her silver-haired head. She realized that she was being rewarded for listening to him. It was a nice feeling to her.

"I'll take her back to the bedroom. Mother will want to see her later," Hermes chuckled. "Come on, Rhea. We'll have something to eat, and then we'll play a little."

"Kay!" she nodded. When they left, Dionysus regarded Alex with a form of amusement.

"What?" Alex asked.

"I find it amazing that you didn't swear once when you spoke to her!" the breeder male grinned. At the flip-off he got in response, laughter ensued right after.

"Are they waking up yet?" Alex asked, as he went back to the viewing window.

"Yes. While you were giving Rhea the pep talk of her young life, the drug was given. Now we get to wait and watch the little boys wake up. The food table is prepped. Showers have been cleaned up. Everything is ready."

"Bolted down?"

"The only stuff they can fling around are hot steaks, cups, and paper plates. Maybe the occasional piece of fruit. Maybe they can rat-tail with a few towels, but that's about it. Maybe even their shit, too, if they get desperate. Anyways, the one with the shit-stained underwear is waking up first."

"He'd better not fuck up the sheets," Alex muttered. He watched the black-haired man blink his eyes open and take in the surroundings. At the sight of his fellow troopers sleeping in the beds, he trembled.  _Was it all a dream I had? Was I still in a bunker?_ He saw the food table and got up to wearily move to it. On finding the try bolted down to the table, he paused. He now knew that he was in an unfamiliar place. The food was too tempting to resist, though, and he gave in to the hunger that gnawed at him.

He was joined by the other four soon after. Only after they ate did they settle down to decide what was going to happen with them.

"Do you remember what happened?" the first soldier asked. "Bruce?"

"I think we were drugged up," he responded. He was actually shaved bald and had a gold hoop earring in his left ear. "I have no fuckin' idea where we are. Gary? What do you think?"

"I have no fucking idea," the first soldier replied. He scratched at his buzzed down cut of light-brown hair and glared around the room with deep blue eyes.

"Well...what do we do?" the first soldier that woke up asked now.

"Everything looks bolted down. It's like they've done this before. Your guess is as good as mine, Frankie," Gary shrugged.

"That bitch said that we were chosen to help them," the fourth soldier sneered.

"You'd better watch your mouth around here, then, Simon," Bruce muttered. "You may be the first to end up dead. We may as well find out what they want."

"Why should we?!" the fifth soldier snorted. "Manny got killed by a fucking thing that they never told us about! We got hosed to a wall with alien guts, or something! Now we're somewhere off a bloody fucking map? Fuck this!"

"Damn it, Allen! Wait...what the...?" Gary blinked at the curtain that was pulled aside to expose the deep, murky depths of the ocean. "We're not on land..."

"Oh shit..." Frankie whimpered.

"No one knows where we are?" Bruce cringed.

"All of our shit's gone. We don't even have toilet paper to wipe our asses with," Simon snorted. "Well, we have bed sheets to hang ourselves with!"

"Shut the fuck up," Gary growled. Then they turned quickly at the sight of Alex's scout drone appearing for them. They could tell that they were in a top-secret base. When the other drone revealed itself, they gaped at how perfectly they blended in with the surroundings. Then the door opened for Alex to walk in with Robert.

"Gentlemen, be at ease," Robert said. He was wearing his military uniform again.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Simon asked.

"Commander Robert Harrison."

"Ah...fuck..." Allen blinked.  _This Commander was quite well-known._

"Then again, I'm not really a Commander anymore. The army was going to toss my ass out," Robert said smartly. Alex was in the guise of Sergeant Thomas, as usual. "I'm here to tell you why you are here. And why I'm here, too. Give me an hour of your time. Then you will all need to make a decision. And I know that you insulted my daughter back on the island. I don't give a flying fuck about you, so you'd better watch yourself."

"Your...daughter...?" Simon blinked.

"Yes. Sigyn. My daughter. And, yes, I know that she fucks her brother. It's how things work here. Anyways, listen to what I have to say and make a decision. Help us here, or die. But, I'm getting ahead of myself," Robert sighed.

"Wait..." Bruce said. "if we say no, we just...we're dead?!"

"Yes," Robert nodded. "It's something that can't be avoided. You all know too much just by being here."

"Not like we have anything better to do," Gary shrugged and sat on the bed to get comfortable. As Robert now explained everything in a calm manner, Frankie was starting to panic more and more. He didn't want to be anything that they wanted him to be. He didn't want to die, either. Bruce was very much the same way. The other three were clearly disgusted with everything. Bruce also noticed how the man next to Robert hadn't said a single thing. That showed mistrust to him. _It was as though we were silently being judged._

"Now you all know everything. What are your decisions?" Robert asked.

"Fuck you and your alien shit!" Simon spat.

"Oh, good," Alex grinned, as he reformed. "I get to kill you. And, just so you little miserable fucks know, I'm Project Zeus."

"Um..." Frankie started to shake.

"Save his heart," Robert nodded.

"Done," Alex grinned wickedly. Before Simon could even scream, he was impaled and gutted open right in front of them all. A set of drones came in to remove the body to salvage the heart. "Next! You! Your decision?!"

"I don't...want to die..." Frankie panicked. "Um...can I have more time? To think about it? I mean..."

"We can give you the rest of the day. That's fine," Robert nodded. "There are a few others here than can talk to you. Don't worry."

"And you?" Alex turned his gaze to Gary.

"You all knew what was on that island. You all set us up," Gary trembled. "Why the fuck should I join you all when I know what the fuck I went through to get here?!"

"You would have said no," Alex said with a wicked grin. That got Gary to seethe with anger. "None of you like to lose. To give in. You were all given the challenge for survival. To see how well you all worked together. Hard to get egos to cooperate unless there's a common goal, right? Fuck, even I heard how hard you guys hollered at each other with each fucking kill you did! Why else do you think it was easy for shit to get attracted to you?!"

Allen cringed and screamed, as he berserked. He ran at Alex to punch him out and found himself lifted in the air on the blade that formed. As he dangled there like a piece of meat on a fork, Alex neatly tossed him aside to the drones that were waiting to help finish the job. The three left alive were gaping with absolute shock now. For the first time in their lives, they realized that they had no control here. Alex smirked at them all and crossed his arms over his chest. He saw them all as sacks of dead meat.

"Give me time to think about it, too," Bruce said. Gary looked at both him and Frankie with disbelief.  _They were thinking of throwing their lives away?!_

"Done," Robert nodded. Gary knew that he was in the hot seat. At the look of defeat he gave them, Gary seemed to throw his hands up in the air.

"I dunno what to think. My life is shot to hell now. I gotta think about it, too," Gary muttered. If anything, he was buying himself some time to figure things out.

"You have the rest of the day. Food will be replenished. Showers are available. New tops and pants will be provided," Robert said.

"Does...does Commander Murlow know of this?" Frankie asked.

"Yep. He's one of us," Robert nodded. The three soldiers gaped with complete shock. "You have, approximately, twelve hours to think about what you all want to do. Don't think about escaping. There are over five hundred drones on this station alone. And they don't sleep."

The two scout drones camouflaged again and blended in perfectly with the surroundings. As Alex and Robert left the three surviving soldiers to think on a new possible lifestyle, they still weren't impressed. Robert was a bit happy that the one that insulted Sigyn was dead, though. It brought him some piece of mind.

"Fucking losers. All of them," Alex growled.

"Well, if they join us, then fine. One chance, as usual," Robert nodded.

"If they fuck up once..." Alex tensed.

"I think they will," Robert smirked. Alex looked over at him with a smirk back. They went to Agatha's bed chamber to watch over her developing breeder eggs.


	41. Chapter 41

Three hours later, Carlos decided to see if he could talk to the three men that were still alive. As much as he pitied them, he wanted to ensure their decision on joining up. He liked the fact that other humans would be sticking around. It made things that much more workable for him. When he approached the cell, a lesser drone of Robin barred his way.

"Why are you here?" it asked.

"I wanted to talk to them. I want to see if I can help change their minds to have them stay," Carlos said truthfully. The drone thought to Alex and frowned.

"My Liege says you can try. If you die, you brought it on yourself. Soldiers are resourceful. If they kill you, Hermes will be mad. You are special to him," the drone said.

"Well..." Carlos sighed. "I think I can get through to them. Can you have others escort me in there? To help protect me?"

"We can do that," the drone nodded. A lesser drone version of Kim and another of Nick appeared. They would be a perfect set of escorts. When the cell door opened, and the three soldiers glanced up at him, they blinked at the fact that he was another soldier.

"Who the fuck are you?" Gary asked.

"I'm Carlos. I was, eh, recruited to them not long ago. Like how they want you to do now. I was part of the first team that was sent in. Only one other of my group of ten survived. He's living here, too," he explained. "I just want to talk to you guys."

"About what? Throwin' our lives away?" Bruce frowned.

"It's not as bad as you think," Carlos chuckled. "I'm still alive."

"But...what do you do?" Frankie asked.

"Menial chores for now. It will change when I help them with the army. I'll go up a touch in rank. Not by much, but it will improve my treatment here," Carlos smiled. "I wasn't very happy with everything, either. However, once you learn the rules, you learn to get by. Granted, I'm seen like a lowly dog on a street curb. But, I learned how to work with the kennel owners, so to speak. I get treated far better than I normally would just by doing what I'm told."

"Well, I'm no fucking mutt!" Gary growled.

"Never said you were," Carlos shrugged. "I'm just describing how we all can be treated as a whole. These guys can skewer us, cook us up on a spit, and eat us like an everyday roast. Trust me. I've seen their meat locker."

"Ah..." Frankie cringed.

"Why are you tellin' us this? What's your point?" Bruce asked.

"I'm telling you three to accept the breeder stud positions," Carlos said slowly. "It's what I did. It's what my teammate did. And, if something else opens up, you could be with the girl of your dreams. That's if they find you more than breeder stud quality."

"Like Commander Harrison said," Gary mused. "To make the Queens."

"Yes," Carlos nodded. "However, the Commander is a stud male. He helps make breeders. Not Queens. As for me, I was destined to be a stud. I have someone set up for me."

"I really want to meet the head woman in charge, though," Gary said. "I wanna see her for myself. We haven't met her yet, anyways."

"If you agree to become studs, you'll meet her," Carlos smiled. "She's a very beautiful woman. And she has the most perfect body that I've ever seen."

"Really?" he asked with interest. The drone of Kim seemed to pause at a thought.

"My Liege is bringing our Empress here," it said.

"If any of you show disrespect, you will die," the drone of Nick growled. The soldiers blinked with surprise, but Carlos stood aside to wait for Agatha to appear. They were just now leaving the bedroom. Alex was at her right side, and Robert was on her left.

"I don't like Gary," Robert said with a shiver of hate.

"Why is that?" Agatha asked. They started walking down the hall.

"The way the drones are describing him to me. He is getting far too interested in you," he snorted. "I'll fucking kill him, myself, if he gets any ideas!"

"Do it," Alex nodded. "I don't want anyone else touching my mate."

"Done," Robert nodded back. "I'm sure the kids would be rather pissed off, too."

"They are already getting pissed off just by thinking of another stud being with me," Agatha sighed with a shrug. "I don't need another stud male."

"They aren't up to par in intelligence," Alex grumbled.

"I have ten fucking years more on any of them," Robert glowered.

"Curb the anger. Show it if any suggestions are made," Agatha muttered. They both nodded to her, and she was let into the chamber with them. At the sight of her in a loose toga of ultra-light white silk, the three men were taken by complete surprise. She was in the slow phase of her breeder pregnancy, so she still looked slender and graceful.

"Hello, Agatha," Carlos said respectfully.

"Carlos. A pleasure to see you," she nodded back in kind. "Please wait outside?"

"Of course. I'll go check on Rhea," he said. "I think Hermes may need the help."

"I'm sure he does," Robert nodded. He waited for Carlos to leave first before making the introductions. "As for you three, this is Agatha. Project Hera, that is."

"Hello," she nodded. "Since it was you three that survived, I'm sure that Alex and Robert spoke with you?"

"And killed off two of us..." Frankie winced.

"One insulted my daughter. Then me by telling me to fuck off," Robert growled.

"And the other tried to kill me," Alex shrugged. "Self-defense."

"Anyways," Agatha said to get the topic back on track. "you still have time to decide. I am still unsure of your choices. One of you commented on wanting to meet me. So, here I am."

"And you're the head woman, so to speak? This...Empress?" Gary asked.

"I am," she nodded. "Why do you ask?"

As he was about to respond, her hair suddenly moved to coil about her form before stretching out one of the tendrils to become a sharp, wicked spike in front of the human's face. She smirked and dared him to speak. Alex grinned wickedly.  _She was proving that she wasn't defenseless. That she could easily rip him to pieces._

"Oh, Agatha," Robert smiled. "I didn't say anything, but that Hunter heart finally arrived. I saw it brought up from the cryo tube entrance a bit ago. It's being sliced up right now, and it will be served to you when we are done here."

"Really?!" she said with a soft giggle of pure delight. "I'll have to try it!"

"You have breeders. It may taste bad to you," Alex frowned.

"Ah. Yes. Then I'll eat some when I have drones within me," she nodded. Then she looked at Gary and said, "I know you have been asking questions about me. That you have been interested in meeting me. Just remember this. You piss me off, I'll fucking rip you limb from limb as effortlessly as the fucking things that killed your comrade at that island! Your government made me! Then it was the same fat, horny fuck of a scientist that made me that fucked everyone over and brought us to this situation! As you can see, I accepted it. I didn't have a choice. And I'm glad I'm here now. So, here is some advice for you. Okay? Don't. You. Ever. Fucking. Cross. Me."

She was a hardened soldier veteran, and she let the attitude come forth with a vengeance. Her tentacled hair withdrew and settled down to regain the appearance of normal floor-length hair. Now she was tense, as the fierce attitude was there in full force. Alex whispered softly to her and kissed her hotly in front of them all. She gave a touch of a wicked grin and gave a seductive whisper back.

"You three stay. Commander, you can talk to them if you want. I have to fuck my mate. Now," Alex grinned, gathered her up in his arms and sped out with her.

"Gary, right?" Robert asked, as he put his arms behind his back to pace. "Why did you want to meet her? You have me curious."

"I have my reasons," Gary responded. Bruce and Frankie looked at each other and carefully stepped away from their teammate.

"And...what are those reasons?" Robert asked with a wary glance.

"Not of your concern," was the reply.

"I see," Robert said. He was completely livid now. He knew that Gary was going to try and sway Agatha to accept him as her personal breeder stud. He recognized the signs all too well. He was sure that Alex did, too. _Agatha must have clearly caught on, and it was why she showed off her tentacled hair like she did. She didn't want another breeder stud._ Robert was given, in a rather silent manner, full permission to kill this one off. "You're thinking of trying to be with her. Aren't you? To find your way into her bed..."

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!" Gary growled.

"But, I do," Robert smirked. Osiris had felt the thoughts of rage coming from his father. He had taken a quick moment to pour through some files and memories while his mother spoke to the man, and he found out something interesting. Then, while Agatha had caught the soldier's attention, the camouflaged scout drone was right behind Robert and giving out a whispered bit of information. That information was now revealed in full. "The only reason you got as good as you did was because you seduced the fuck out of every high-ranking official you found. Man or woman. You got them to teach you the secrets of their success. Then you applied it to yourself. You even tried to get Commander Murlow's assistant to fuck you! So, in retaliation, he sent you to a base to 'hone your techniques' elsewhere. Or am I wrong?"

"You think this shit's easy?!" Gary snarled out.

"I spent over  _twenty fucking years_ of my life dedicated to military time and expense!" Robert hissed back with authority. "I scraped, clawed, and fought my way to where I was! I didn't have to fuck anybody to get there! I was a true model citizen and soldier of the United States of America before I was dragged balls first into this fucking project! Because of my knowledge here, they were going to kick my ass out! After  _everything_  that I did for this country! After all the lies and bullshit that I went through to protect what I knew and loved! You. Are. Nothing. You're a sack of lies. A sack of the same bullshit I had to put up with. You shouldn't have been brought here."

"And what are you going to fucking do about it?!" Gary smirked. Then the wind was knocked from him when Robert's fist slammed into his Adam's apple. Then another fist came out to crush in his nose to drown the man in his own blood. When Gary was hunched over, Robert brought down his elbow to break the back of the man's neck to finish him off. It all happened within five seconds. Gary had no idea what happened until it was too late.

"Get rid of it," Robert muttered to the drone, and the body was removed. Then he looked over at the two men. "Now. Why should the two of you become studs? I want to know."

"Oh man...!" Frankie panicked. "Oh fucking shit...!"

"I don't know what to say," Bruce admitted. "or how to respond. Time's runnin' out for me. Like you, I worked hard. I did what I had to in order to make my way. I didn't cheat my way up. I earned it. I don't...really want to be a stud. To share a woman. I know I'm more than bein' a basic stud. I was gettin' close to earnin' my top marks, and I only accepted the island mission with the promise that I would get them."

"I see," Robert mused. "You may be suitable to help make Queens. You are telling me the truth, and you have an excellent head on your shoulders. As for you..."

"Please...I just..." Frankie whimpered.

"You break too much under pressure," Robert said, and he pursed his lips together. "You would be the first one to be killed to keep a group quiet. We'll give you one more hour to think of a decision. Bruce? What do you think? Would you like to end up with the woman of your dreams and help us make Queens?"

"I think I can use the old 'RnR' as they say. Despite it bein' a touch permanent," Bruce chuckled. Robert shook his hand and gestured for him to leave the cell.

"The drones will take you to the lab for a special shot of Agatha's blood. It will keep you from getting infected, and it will allow you to help make Queens. Just don't fuck up. Everyone gets only one chance. That includes me," Robert shrugged. Bruce nodded and followed a drone. "As for you, Frankie, you need to calm the fuck down."

"I...don't know...if I can..." the soldier panicked. Robert sighed and seemed to give a nod. "I just...I don't wanna die..."

"Then you need to decide. If you become a stud, you will live. You'll get to take turns fucking a gorgeous woman. Not Agatha, but another. You just have to wait until a born Queen is ready to start taking a stud. You go with this route, and you'll get your wish to live. Just do as your told. That's all you have to do," Robert said calmly.

"I just...fuck a girl?" Frankie blinked.

"You'll have to do a few chores here and there, but it won't be anything major. Like, oh, food prep and animal care. Boot camp shit," Robert shrugged. "That's really it."

"Oh..." the soldier calmed down even more.

"But...if you fuck up..." Robert said seriously. "You're dead."

"I won't!" Frankie said quickly. "I promise!"

"Okay. Follow a drone to the lab. Get a shot of Agatha's blood. You'll be taken to the mess room to meet whoever wants to talk to you," Robert nodded. They shook hands, and Frankie was escorted out. "Fucking A...what a mess..."

He grimaced and walked out of the room to let the drones fix it back up for future guests.


	42. Chapter 42

Karl and Carlos were rather pleased with the outcome, but they were both concerned about Frankie. They needed to find out how he got to take such a dangerous mission, and they wanted to know how he got up to the point in status that he was. Bruce was in the clear, since he had a rather firm head on his shoulders. He didn't panic under pressure.

"What do you think of him?" Karl asked.

"Of Frankie? I can't say for sure," Carlos frowned. "Hey, Bruce!"

"Hello," he nodded, as he sat down. "What are you all discussin'?"

"Frankie," Carlos sighed.

"Oh. Him," Bruce winced. "Well, I can give you some insight."

"Please do," Dionysus said, as he walked over to join them. "I'm Dionysus. A breeder male. I like joining these things."

"Hermes won't get mad?" Karl grinned.

"He's dealing with a runaway kid. He has enough," the breeder male grinned back. Then he blinked when Apollo joined them. "What's the kill joy of the group doing here?"

"I'm also curious about Frankie. You. Talk," Apollo said, and he looked at Bruce.

"Right," Bruce sighed.  _Do what you're told. I'll live longer._ "Anyways, Frankie is an excellent marksman. When he's calm, he can hit a target dead center at over three hundred feet away. Maybe even more with the right scope. He's like, a prodigy with a sniper rifle. Any weather. Rain, shine, hurricane...he always hits the target dead center. It's nuts. Mainly how he got to where he is. He's a quick thinker, and an excellent tracker, too. He was like, our scout, you see? His downside is when he panics. He can't help it."

"So, he's awesome until he's scared shitless?" Dionysus asked.

"Pretty much," Bruce nodded. "Granted, he's an egotistical bastard like the rest of us were. It's a given. I wasn't so much, but it was mainly to save face. I was able to think clearly through the stress of things. Frankie...eh...not so much. I am a bit relieved that he's alive."

"This is where I disagree with Father letting him live," Apollo said carefully. "If he has panic issues, I don't want them to spread to the breeders he makes."

"Well, we don't know if that will happen," Karl said.

"We don't, but can we take that risk?" Apollo asked. "Can we sacrifice a whole group of breeders that may have this handicap?"

"Fuck..." Carlos winced. "It would be a waste."

"But, think about it," Dionysus said. "It's only when things go out of control, right? If there is already a stable environment for them, then it shouldn't happen."

"True," Karl thought.

"If they are already well protected and don't need much physical contact, then it's a done deal. Right?" Dionysus said. "It's hard to come across suitable studs now. Mother's blood could have even cured him of that condition, anyways. Her blood does different things. We know this. We've seen it happen with Father. Even he was surprised at how quickly he took out that fucker wanted to be with Mother!"

"We need to test him," Apollo said. "Mother agrees."

"You  _had_ to bring Mother into this?" Dionysus groaned.

"You know I had to," Apollo glared. "It's a stud male for one of her grandchildren. For another Queen. There can be no weaknesses. I'll talk to Father now."

They all nodded glumly when Apollo left, and they looked over at Sakuma escorting his pregnant mate in. Bruce gaped in shock at her Oriental beauty. Now he realized what he was told about being with the girl of his dreams. _Did I even have one like that?_ He was even more speechless when Steve brought in Amunet. She was impregnated at the same time as Amaterasu, and both breeder females giggled at each other in greeting.

"You are going to be another to help make Queens?" Sakuma chuckled at Bruce. He helped Amaterasu sit down and let her ask for something to eat.

"From what I've been told. I met Hariti in the lab," Bruce smiled. "She's almost ready to give birth?"

"A couple more days," Dionysus nodded. "If that. It seems to be the case."

"Rhea! Stay with me!" Hermes said sternly. His daughter blinked at him and frowned. "If you want to walk around, that's fine, but you do it with me. We'll sit down and eat. Okay?"

"Kay," she nodded. She looked over at Carlos and beamed, as she ran over to him. "Carlos! You gonna eat, too?"

"I've been eating," Carlos said warmly. She snuggled into his chest and looked at the breeder women in the room with beaming smiles. Now that the child was the center of their attention, the guys sat down to talk while the girl was distracted. Carlos mildly listened in, but it was doubtful that he'd be able to join them with Rhea in his lap.

"I saw Apollo walk out of here. When he's around, something's up. So, what's up?" Hermes asked. "I want in."

"You always want in," Dionysus snorted.

"Better me than you," Hermes grinned.

"No matter the hole?" the breeder male retorted.

"Fuck you," Hermes muttered in a low tone, and the others snickered. "Your hairstyle makes you look like a dashing princess."

"At least mine doesn't make me look like a long-haired Manga reject," Dionysus muttered back. "You could pass as a woman, too, with the right makeup!"

"Well, I could put you in a frilly dress with makeup, and you'd fit right in for a play on Shakespeare and Renaissance modeling," Hermes smirked.

"And I could put your hair in multiple braids, put you in speedos on a bike and...ugh. Not even I want that image!" Dionysus winced.

"At least you can tell that I look like a male," Hermes grinned. "and sound like one."

"I sound like a guy, too!" he pouted.

"Not when you up the octaves," Hermes grinned a bit wider.

"Asshole!" Dionysus scowled.

"Just doing my job!" he replied. The others were snickering with laughter, as Hermes now gleaned the memories. "Okay. Test him. I like that. On what?"

"To see if Mother's blood changed him," Dionysus said.

"Okay. How?" Hermes asked.

"Father knows of various areas that can use live ammunition. It's either that, or we send him back to the island for him to hunt with Hermanubis. He's up for that, too," Dionysus said.

"That's a scary thought. Hunting with Hermanubis. Wow," Hermes whistled.

"Just by him goin' back to the island should be enough to see if he gets scared," Bruce thought aloud. "If he starts to shake, then you have your answer."

"That may actually be better than wasting ammunition," Karl said.

"Then let's do that," Hermes nodded. "Apollo will bring up the idea to Mother now."

"Anyways, I'm starved!" Dionysus chuckled. As the banters continued in the mess room, Agatha was resting her hand over Apollo's while he sat in a chair by the bed to talk to her.

"Threaten him by having him go back to the island," Alex mused. He was reclining with Agatha in the bed with a thoughtful look.

"Hermanubis wouldn't mind trying to hunt with him," Agatha chuckled. "If Frankie acts out of line, he'll become the one my son hunts."

"I did have my doubts about him," Robert said. He was sitting in a chair near Alex. "I was ready to kill him off, but something said to give him another chance. Let him prove himself. I say we go for it. Oh, what countries were being settled in now?"

"Italy, France, Greece, Rome, and small parts of Russia and China," Agatha said. "I'm already getting in shipments of boar meat from Spain!"

"When do the kids show themselves? Actually, how far along are the other underwater bases?" Alex asked. Agatha thought to Osiris and smiled.

"Right on schedule. Another month for testing to ensure they are habitable first. Then, after Rhea is grown, she will leave with the viable King that is still in stasis here. Um, I do feel that this set of breeders is off. As though I am now producing less breeders and more Kings. I honestly feel that only Queens will be produced from the special breeders. I will be the only one able to make Kings for them," she admitted.

"It does seem to be apparent. It's another female for Ragland," Alex nodded. "He verified that it's females in the other two, as well. I think that, after Rhea is grown and mated to a King, Dana may be pregnant again. I think that's how it would work for her."

"True," Robert nodded. "We've been finding enough scrap metal?"

"From all the shipwrecks and submarines sunk over the years, we find enough. Osiris has been sending us supplies, too. We took over a few scrapyards, so it's not an issue anymore," Alex nodded. "We also took over a few food processing plants, too. Small shipments are being stockpiled in various locations. Farms have been claimed for produce and meat. Once we have a stable foothold in every possible area of importance, we'll make the call to step out of hiding."

"Good. What's the next plan? Just waiting for the underwater homes?" Robert asked.

"Yep," Alex nodded again. "When they are functional, we will have a King and Queen populate them. A traffic of swimming drones will help patrol. No one will know what hit them until it's too late. There's already so many out there that it's a done deal, anyways. But, we like to give a little more time until we are ready."

"And what do we do about Frankie?" Apollo asked.

"Ship his sorry ass back to the island and see how he does," Alex grinned wickedly.

"Yes, my King and Emperor," Apollo nodded. He let his mother give a chaste kiss to his lips, and he left the room. Alex gave a mild glance at that, but kept silent. He knew it was innocent, but a part of him felt off about it, too. Robert chuckled at how proud he was of his son. He got a mental feeling of pride given back to him in response.

"I'm starving!" Agatha growled, as her belly swelled. It was now in the fast growth phase. Alex and Robert were quick to feed her voracious appetite.


	43. Chapter 43

Frankie was shocked that he was told to help Hermanubis hunt on the island. He didn't know what it was for. On learning that it was because of his panic attacks, he realized that they needed to be sure that he would overcome them. Something told him that Agatha's blood changed that part of him. He didn't even flinch when he saw the cryo tube. Thirty minutes later, he walked out of it to find Hermanubis waiting for him.

"Hello, again," the breeder male nodded. "We are going to be hunting some rather nasty critters! I'm sure you know why. Right?"

"Yeah, I do," Frankie nodded. "To be honest, I don't really feel that way anymore. It's as though I know I'll be fine."

"Well, we'll know for sure this way. Won't we?" Hermanubis mused. "Sigyn is resting right now, but she wants another Hunter heart. We are going to hunt one down. Together. We'll get you outfitted in some good gear, too."

"I didn't think boxers and a shirt would offer much protection."

"Very true," he chuckled. Several drones appeared with a full military outfit for Frankie. It consisted of a heavier shirt and jacket with a bullet-proof interior, heavy pants with armored pockets built in, and steel-toed boots. It may have been worn by another military official before, but it was a much better quality than what he was used to wearing. It was all a dark greenish black in color, but that was to help camouflage in the shadowed spots. He was given a basic helmet, but that was it. Agatha's blood would keep him from getting infected.

"Do I get a weapon?" Frankie asked.

"No. You are just going to spot the beast. I get to kill it. The drones will take you to where we last saw one of the same size you saw before. As we kill off the Hunters, larger ones evolve to try and get the better of us. We simply overwhelm them," Hermanubis explained. Then he pressed the red button to have the cryo tube leave. He didn't want Frankie to think that he had a way to escape. Smirking now, an escort of drones appeared consisting of both his and Alex's broods. There were still quite a few drones from Geb, too.

"Come with us," a lesser drone of Nick said to Frankie. "The one we hunt is a mile away. We know where to go."

"I'll meet you there," Hermanubis nodded. Then he leapt off the side of the building to run down it easily. Frankie gaped at this, but he cleared his throat.  _I have to prove my worth or die trying._  For the first time he could remember, he didn't feel like panicking. It was strange. As he moved with the drone group, he evaluated everything around him. He actually felt that his eyes were sharper than before.  _Why was that?_  He even spotted a bird that was flying above him from over five hundred feet in the air!

"Seagull..." Frankie muttered.

"What?" the drone asked.

"I just saw a seagull fly over us. You can't see it?" he asked.

"No," the drone said. Frankie was now being evaluated, and this information was sent through the hive mind. Hermanubis was actually impressed. For an hour, the drones tested Frankie's new talent while they moved. Every time they reached the Hunter they needed, it was already gone. It knew it was being hunted down. It had no plans on being caught out in the open. Frankie was able to track where the monster moved despite the fast pace it went.

When he had his eyes locked on it, he spoke out which way it turned. Where it tried to disappear to. It was almost as though his eyes became a set of highly optical binoculars. He was able to see everything up close, if he focused in on his target. Hermanubis was able to irritate the Hunter just enough to force it to keep moving. They were trying to wear it down, but that was unlikely. As they were trying to trap it, it was going to see about trapping them. _This was clearly an intelligent Hunter._  As they moved around the island to keep pace with it, another cryo tube had appeared and landed. This one had brought Alex.

He was a bit intrigued about Frankie now.  _His enhanced vision would prove useful, if any future breeders got this talent._ He wanted to ensure that this human lived. The panicking was clearly gone, but he had to see for himself about it. As much as Agatha fretted a little, she knew he would be safe. He had impregnated her with drones before he left, too, so he had time. He didn't want Robert to get her pregnant twice. As much as the breeders would be appreciated, Alex would have simply gotten too pissed off.

He had also appeared, because of the Hunter. He was amused at how intelligent it was. The hive mind he was connected to led him into a building. The massive Hunter had led them in here to an underground parking garage. _It was close quarters. Very close quarters._

"Look out!" Frankie shouted, as the massive creature howled and charged at Hermanubis. Within a blink of an eye, the breeder male was already gone, and it collided with a structural pillar. While it was stunned, the breeder male moved to attack, but it was quick to recover. This was clearly an enhanced Hunter. It was a worthy prey to him. When an abandoned white car was suddenly picked up and hurled, Frankie was just barely kept protected from the mass of scrap metal. The drones were able to pull him to safety behind another pillar.

"Protect the human!" Hermanubis hissed, as he kept the Hunter's focus on him. When the massive mouth moved to snap at him, a clawed hand formed to slap it back to make it seethe with pain. It was frustrated that it couldn't attack this one as easily as it thought it could. Then a startled roar erupted from it. Alex had landed squarely on the Hunter's back and began to burrow his way inside it. Hermanubis was clearly impressed.

"Stay back!" a lesser drone of Kim said to Frankie. The Hunter roared and bucked around, but Alex's tentacled form had drilled holes into it and latched onto solid bone. He grinned and let his form sink into the back of the creature fully. Now the Hunter started to jerk around and roar with frustration. After another moment, all movement stopped. A keening wail of pain was the only sound it could give out. Then it simply exploded, as a mass of black tentacles erupted from it without a second of mercy.

Frankie stood there with a gaping form of shock. He had never seen something killed with such a cold sense of satisfaction before. Alex reformed with a triumphant smirk. He was holding the massive heart of the Hunter. Whatever meat could be salvaged was already being done. Alex looked at Frankie now and appeared amused.  _The human would be panicking by now. He was rather calm._ That pleased Alex.

"I'll keep this for Agatha," Alex said. "Sigyn will need another heart."

"You killed it. It's yours," Hermanubis agreed.

"Good. As for you, how do you feel?" Alex asked Frankie.

"Surprisingly good," the man admitted. "If I had a weapon..."

"It would have been useless. You would have just pissed it off," Alex said bluntly. "So, while it was distracted, I decided to piss it off and kill it. It worked."

"That it did," Frankie agreed, as he eyed the massive heart.

"The cryo tubes should be back by now. When you get to the base, you may become a breeder stud to Hariti's growing Queen. She'll be birthed in a few days, and you can help her grow up. We need to go back," Alex grunted. "Also, we may be moving various breeders and studs to the new bases being set up underwater. As well as various Queens and Kings. You will be joining the move when you're fully established."

"Will other soldiers be on them?" Frankie asked.

"Maybe. We have to recruit them first," Alex shrugged. "So, you may be the only human on a base for a while. Why?"

"I just...would feel comfortable with others like me. That's all."

"Well, like I said, it may or may not happen. If you know of some others that may work, you'll have to tell us. However, we were thinking of one King and Queen per underwater base. Safer to be kept spread out. It's needed to remain hidden for now."

"I know. All right," Frankie said with a mild form of defeat.

"So, get your fucking social issues out of the way. If you want to live, you'll do as your fucking told," Alex said with annoyance. "Don't argue."

"Right," Frankie nodded. When they got to the waiting cryo tubes, they were quickly sent back to the base to get the next stage underway. That wouldn't happen until Rhea was finally old enough to claim her waiting King.


	44. Chapter 44

Twelve days had already gone by. Rhea had grown into a beautiful young woman with porcelain white skin, long and straight silver hair, and deep brown eyes. Her figure was slender, but graceful. She seemed to give out an aura that she was a form of royalty. That she was a leader. Hariti, Amunet, and Amaterasu had all given birth to their daughters and were tending to them, too. All of the children were beautiful. As days were considered years, it was easy to know that it wouldn't be simple to keep them entertained. A nursery and small schooling area had to be constructed to keep them amused.

Hariti's daughter appeared to be a nine-year-old child with a beautiful complexion of black hair, tanned skin, and warm brown eyes with a touch of an Oriental look. She was mild-mannered, but only if nothing caught her interest. Amunet's daughter had the appearance of a four-year-old with a bouncy attitude like her mother. Long, straight blond hair was kept neat and tidy around a lightly freckled face. Pastel blue eyes blinked around with a vast form of curiosity, and Steve was hard pressed to keep her at his side from her curiosity of everything around her.

Amaterasu's daughter easily showed off her Queenly appearance. She was quiet for a four-year-old. Her black hair was carefully coifed up, and her father's dark brown eyes held a touch of wisdom and childish amusement at everything she witnessed. She had fully inherited her mother's beauty in both poise and form. Sakuma could never be prouder, but even he knew that being with his daughter was going to be short-lived. When she grew up, she would be transferred to another underwater base. He did know that she would be contacting him when she could. He was teaching her that being with family was important.

"Ran!" Sakuma said a touch sternly. They had stuck to the tradition of using Norse goddess names for the Queens. "Remember to be calm!"

"Yes, Father," she said softly.

"We are going to school, but you can't run," he said gently. "Stay with me."

"Is Eir and Frigg to be there?" she asked.

"Yes. Ragland will bring Eir. Steve is bringing Frigg. Rhea doesn't need to be there anymore. She has a special day today," Sakuma chuckled.

"Oh! She gets her King?!" Ran said with a touch of happiness.

"That she does! And you will, too, when the time comes. I'm sure you'll meet Rhea's King soon. Let's wait in the school, okay?" he said. She nodded and held his hand, as he escorted her. Agatha had three new eggs containing Kings in their stasis sleep, and they were secured in the specialized tentacle. The Kings appeared to be hairless, skeletal structures. The one destined for Rhea was now shown.

"That is Cronus?" she asked.

"Yes. When you touch the egg, he will know what to be for you," Hermes smiled.

"When the egg hatches, it should be in a private room," Agatha suggested. "As much as I want to see what he will look like, I feel that Rhea may become receptive to breeding right away. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea with her."

"Hmm..." Alex thought. "I think you're right."

"Since that's the way it is with me," she said. "We can't chance it."

"A room will be prepared. Rhea, touch the egg. I'm sure it will still need time to develop," Alex said. Rhea looked at him and nodded. The young Queen walked up to the large egg and shivered with a form of excitement. On pressing her hands to the warm, plastic-like shell, the King's body within it shifted to press back into her palms. Right before their eyes, black hair formed. The body started to lengthen, as new muscles developed. Ragland was there to monitor the changes to see what would happen with the other eggs.

"It looks like he's going to have a bit of your build," Robert chuckled to his son. "Dana's hair, though. See?"

"True," Hermes chuckled back. "Skin looks paler, too."

"He also appears to look like the 'bad ass' type with a dangling fang earring or three," Robert grinned. "He has that look."

"I don't think he'll want something like that," Agatha mused. Rhea pulled her hands away with a touch of pride. Her King would definitely accent her looks. He had a build much like Hermanubis, but he appeared to be taller with a wider chest. His hair even appeared to stop at just past his shoulders and in slight disarray. She didn't want to leave the egg alone.

"Daddy, um, can I stay with him?" Rhea asked Hermes.

"We have a room prepared," Kim said. "Several rooms are now arranged. A tentacle can be placed in each room for a single egg. There is a bed with basic furnishings in each room."

"Your first set of drones and breeders can be left here," Alex said. "Take only the strongest with you. A submarine will take you, Carlos, and Cronus to a finished base. The one that's nearly done is a hundred miles off from the coast of Sydney, Australia. The drones there are reporting that it's working properly. Livestock, gardens, water systems, and air filtration is complete and set up. Various meats are being frozen in the freezer there now. Can you communicate with Agatha?"

"Ah, I can hear Daddy's thoughts. Some from Grandmother through him," Rhea nodded. "I know what I need to do. I will miss you all, though."

"We can keep contact with video uplinks. Or just talk to me in your head," Hermes smiled and hugged her tight. "I'm sure there will be times we will all need to meet up."

"Very true," Agatha smiled warmly. She got a tight hug from Rhea, and Cronus was taken into the empty room. Hermes was the one to set up the tentacle in here, and it would be reserved for any of his future Queens. The specialized breeder females were able to claim various rooms for themselves to have their tentacles mark them. New rooms would need to be constructed for future pairings, but this would help for the Queens already there.

As Rhea was now left in the chamber with her developing King, Hermes found his thoughts going to Dana. He had this intense urge to be with her. It was getting harder to ignore.

"Hermes?" Robert frowned when he saw his son.

"I think it's time I gave Dana a good deep-dicking," Hermes grinned. Alex barked out laughter and gestured for him to go. Hermes didn't wait another second longer.

"Now that Rhea is an adult, he would want to start being with Dana again. At least she isn't constantly pregnant," Agatha giggled.

"True. She has almost a month to recover," Robert smiled. As they talked and conversed, Rhea was sitting in a chair and watching her developing King. She continued to touch and stroke the egg gently. It was as though she was constantly reassuring him that she was there. It was something she couldn't stop doing. For the next three hours it was like this. She didn't even realize how fast time flew by when the body within the clear shell suddenly swelled up and rocked around.

She jumped up with surprise, as he leapt out of the tentacle. The shell molded to his form, and he opened his eyes at last to look at her.  _Silver eyes._  Just like her father's eyes and Robert's eyes. She gained her mother's brown eyes, and her father's silvery white hair. The two were exact opposites in that aspect, but even she felt the strong bond she had with him.

"Rhea," Cronus finally said. His voice was deep, powerful and had a soft echo to it. His face was now sharply angled to appear soft with warmth, but could also become cold with silent hatred. She was just in complete shock, as his body started to fill out a touch more. He was a foot shorter than her father, but that was fine. He was definitely lean and toned to show that he wouldn't hesitate to snap the necks of any that tried to interfere with them. Just like Alex, he was now a force to be reckoned with.

"Cronus..." she whispered back in her own light tone. He was a King, and he knew it. And she knew that he had to lay claim to her now. When he approached her, it was with swift steps, but she turned from him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her scent was already affecting him. He needed to be with her.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly and lightly stroked her back. "Ah. You're dressed. We need to remedy that."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she asked with a bit of shock at how brash he was. Now she felt insulted, and her hair quickly shifted into the same spiked cocoon that Agatha was able to create. Cronus paused with a rare look of surprise. On gleaning various thoughts, he knew what he had to do.

It was just like what Alex needed to do. He had to coax her out. A single finger now moved to trace over a spike. He heard her gasp within the cocoon, and he whispered, "You're safe with me, Rhea. You know that I am meant for you. You made me in this image. Don't you want to enjoy what I have become? I'm sure you do."

"No..." she whimpered. He kept up with the soft caresses.

"I'll protect you. I'll keep you safe," he said with a light chuckle. The cocoon started to waver at last, but he kept going. "I am your King, and you are my Queen. You know this. It's time for us to cement the fact. I will never hurt you, Rhea. I apologize for my earlier rashness. You affect me so much right now...it's hard to ignore. Don't I...affect you the same way?"

"Cronus...!" she whimpered again, as her defenses went down. He kissed her hard when he pulled her close and ripped off the clothing she wore. They would get fixed back up later. He couldn't wait for this any longer. She was gently moved to the bed, and his form quickly coated over hers. Her cry of pain was the next thing heard, as he seeded her. It took a solid hour for this to fully be accomplished. It was much like the others. In time, he would be able to be with her normally. This first mating had to be an act of claim. He was proving to any and all that this was her mate. This was his Queen.

"Rhea," he smiled when he finished. He reformed next to her, and she let him pull her close. He felt their first set of drones form within her, and he chuckled. On thinking about Carlos, he gave out a snort of distaste. He was actually able to hear his mother's thoughts on what had to happen with breeder males to have them form. Sighing to himself, he knew he would talk to Carlos directly. As for now, he was going to enjoy being with Rhea. They needed this to cement their bond in full, and he wasn't going to think of anything else for now.


	45. Chapter 45

Carlos was surprised when Cronus went to confront him directly a couple hours later. The new King had chosen to wear all black leather. From the jacket, to the shirt, to the pants and boots, it gave him an eccentric, yet dangerous appearance. It worked well for him. The pants were snug, but not tight. The shirt was a soft form of pliable black leather for the best movement possible for his wide, lean chest. Even the jacket was a touch large, but held various zippers and pockets. His black bangs framed his silver eyes neatly, as the human was regarded. He looked a touch Gothic from the pale skin, but that wouldn't matter. He was there to talk business.

"Ah...who are you?" Carlos blinked.

"I'm Cronus," the King said with a slight growl. "You are the one destined to be Rhea's stud male. Right? Or am I wrong?"

"You are correct," he said lightly.

"She's pregnant with my drones now. I wanted to see you for myself. I don't know what Hermes sees in you. I don't see anything in you."

"Cronus," Hermes said in the distance. "Be nice."

"What do you see in him?" the King asked now. The breeder male walked over.

"Survival skills," Hermes said wisely. That made Cronus think with a form of indecision. "He knows how to keep himself alive. He has something called 'street smarts'. He will always pull through, regardless of the situation thrown at him. And, he is exceptionally calm in the thick of battle. He was one of the few that caught my attention when he was first made known. I wasn't sure, either, but then I saw him fight. I saw him lead. He is worthy for making breeders. He will benefit us and you."

"I see..." Cronus muttered in his deep voice. Then he paused, as he heard his mother's thoughts filter through his mind. Lowering his eyes with silent respect, he sighed with a nod. Looking back at Carlos, he said, "Very well. However, Rhea will not be ready for you just yet. You will help keep her fed."

"Cronus. You. Me. Talk," Alex said, as he walked over to confront the new King. Cronus looked over now and nodded curtly. "Hermes. Fuck off. Carlos. Tend to Rhea."

"Right," Hermes smirked. He saluted Alex before leaving to check on Dana. Carlos swallowed down the chuckle and left the room quickly. Alex gestured for Cronus to sit with him, and it was done with a small nod.

"My Emperor," Cronus said respectfully. "What do you wish of me?"

"You gave several vials of blood to Ragland?" Alex asked.

"I did."

"Good. We both know that Hera needs them to recuperate," Alex nodded. It was decided that, for new Kings only, that Alex and Agatha would be referred to by their project names to show how important they were.  _Queens were easy to keep in line. Kings were another matter completely._ "The same may be needed for you. For Rhea. For any others."

"What happened with Mother before?"

"Her body started to deteriorate after a certain amount of time. One pure cell revitalized her and put her back in a virgin state. We don't know what will happen with other Queens. Copies of Rhea's cells have also been created. A room has been created to store her cells and your cells on the new base. I'll have one of my drones tend to that, since I can tell it what to do. Can you can see my thoughts?"

"No. Only Mother," Cronus grimaced.

"I'll have several of my drones accompany you. You could also check to see if you can glean memories like me. I'm not sure if you can."

"Who can I test this with?"

"I'd say me, but my genetic make-up might fuck with you. Hmm. Oh. Test with Carlos," Alex grinned a touch wickedly. "You want to really know what he's all about? Do that. It may answer a lot of your doubts about him."

"I'll do that now," Cronus nodded and stood up. Alex nodded and sped off to check on his mate. When Cronus got to the room that Rhea was in, he gave a warm smile to her.

"Cronus?" she smiled. Her belly was still swelling, but that was fine. He glanced over at Carlos with amusement and gestured for him.

"Yes, Cronus?" the human asked.

"I need to try an experiment. My Emperor is curious if it works. I need a drop of your blood to see if I can gain your memories," Cronus said lightly. Carlos blinked, but he nodded all the same.  _I don't want to end up dead for declining him._  Exposing his hand, Cronus let one of his hands form into a wicked set of claws. He scratched the skin open and took the blood. He knew that the breeder males were able to do it. On gleaning the memories now, he nodded. Agatha was able to tell Alex that it worked. On thinking back to him, she informed her son that he needed to do this with all on the station that he needed memories from.

"Did it work?" Carlos asked.

"It did. Thanks," Cronus nodded. "I'll accept you as Rhea's stud male. We may be leaving for the Australian base within the week. Be ready to leave."

"Of course," he nodded. "From what I understand, it's one Queen and King to a base?"

"Yes. That is the current goal. We stay spread out for safety. Then, when it's time to strike, we hit hard," Cronus grinned with a touch of wickedness. "Ten bases are planned to be built. That should be plenty. Three more bases are already in construction from the Queens here. We are going to the one based near Australia. That is the current plan."

"And when Rhea gives birth?"

"The first set of drones will remain here, save the strongest ones that will go with us. One set of your breeders with her will remain here, too. Mainly to help communicate with my Emperor. The rest will go with us. That is what the plan is so far. I'm letting you in on this, because you are supposed to be trustworthy. Your memories prove that. However, the rule still stands. You fuck up once, you're dead," the King said in a flat tone. When Rhea showed signs of hunger, he looked over at her to smile. Carlos found himself being ignored now, and he took that as a gesture to get more food. The moment they were alone, they relaxed.

"Cronus," she smiled and reached for her mate. He was in her arms to hug her.

"What is it?" he asked and kissed her gently.

"I really don't want a stud male," she frowned.

"Would you go against Mother's orders? Or our Emperor's demands?" he asked her.

"I know..." she trembled.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Cronus grinned.

"What's that?"

"Not once has Mother ever kissed her stud male. Your grandfather."

"Oh! That's right..."

"She shows just enough affection. She lets him live," he chuckled. "I'll make a few tentacles in here when you are ready to give birth. Then we'll let Carlos be with you to get some breeders made. I won't be able to touch you until we get to the new base, though."

"But...you'll stay with me?"

"That's not even a question you need to ask," he growled with a grin to see her blush.

"I want you to stay with me."

"I can do that. I'll stay for as long as our Emperor doesn't have need of us. That's not an issue at all. And don't worry. I'll never be long from your side. I vow this," he muttered and traced a finger down her cheek. "And, just so you know, I won't hesitate to snap the human's neck if he fucks up. You have my word."

"Okay," she sighed and winced at a growth spurt. He ran a hand over her belly and looked over when Carlos returned with a few drones. It was freshly harvested Hunter meat that was brought in, and it was slow roasted to perfection. With new Queens that were going to be as hungry as Agatha was, the stock of meat was being quadrupled. When she tried some of the cooked meat, her hunger was curbed. It was exactly what Agatha needed at times, too. Cooked meat really did help. With this bit of knowledge sent out, it would be easier to keep track of what was used and harvested. Alex was pleased and would ensure that each base had a frozen stock of pre-cooked meat.

As much as the downtime was needed, it was Osiris that made a rather startling discovery an hour later. And it was one that he had to report quickly to his mother.  _If it wasn't taken care of swiftly, then a good portion of what we wanted to do would be jeopardized._  An army base would need infiltrating. And soon. The reason was simple. A drone was discovered, and they had to bottle up the leak quickly.

The drone was severed from the hive mind to kill it off, but the damage was done. The danger of a full blown discovery was quickly mounting. Someone had to go in and cut everything off at the source. The only problem was that Alex would need to be the one to do it. He couldn't trust having another drone go in. He couldn't risk a breeder pair. He liked fucking things up for the military personally, anyways. It was always his main goal to show who was in charge. And he had to be the one in charge.


	46. Chapter 46

Agatha was in a small state of shock. She didn't want Alex to go alone on such a dangerous mission. She wanted to go with him, and he was adamant that she stay put. Even Robert was insisting that she stayed put, too.

"At least take a squad of drones!" she pleaded.

"No," he frowned. "I can't. Osiris has everything in lockdown, right?"

"He does," Agatha trembled. "He convinced the base that he was sending in reinforcements. All communication is halted to keep panic from spreading. He's...taking everything in carefully, as always. I'm just...so worried that I'll lose you..."

"Hera," he whispered softly in her ear. Robert was being spoken to by a drone from Osiris to keep him preoccupied. "I will come back to you. I left a portion of myself here. Ragland knows how to bring me back, if something happens. If all goes well, I can simply rejoin with that piece, and I'll be fine. It's just a safety measure."

"You'll...be weak...if you are brought back..." she shivered. He hugged her tight and kissed her fiercely. "Please, Zeus...I just...our drones...if I give birth..."

"Don't let Robert fuck you until I get back," he growled. "I'm going to want to fuck you again when I do. And I do know this. I'll live. I've been through worse. I'm hard to kill. You know this, too. I have to stop this threat, myself. I have to prove my worth to you, and this will help solidify to the new Kings that I can't be fucked with. I have to fuck up this base by myself. Think of this as my badge of honor. I have to earn it. And I plan to keep it."

"Okay. How do you plan to approach the base?" she asked.

"I'll go to the island first. Hermanubis will have a helicopter prepped and waiting. I'll fly it to the base and infiltrate it. Don't worry. I'll be back as quickly as I can," he vowed. "Commander, I don't want you to fuck Agatha after she gives birth. You know I'm going to want her when I get back. Just focus on keeping her calm."

"What? Oh. Fine. I can wait," Robert nodded grimly. They finally started to see each other as brothers, but not quite at that particular point of trust. "Just watch your ass. You don't know who's going to want to fuck it if you bend over wrong."

"Fuck you," Alex grinned. "Do you know of this base?"

"Not really," Robert sighed. "It was much like this one. Hidden. Last resort shit if the shit hits the fan. Not much else to say about it."

"Right. Keep in contact with Osiris. If he can keep anyone from getting out, then it will make my job easier. Oh. Was this base something that John was working on?" Alex asked.

"Ah..." Agatha thought. "It was! I...!"

"What?" Alex asked, as he looked at her with concern.

"It was...another experimental base..." she gasped. "Who knows what's found there!"

"Hmm," Alex mused. "If it's dangerous, I'll blow it up. No other choice in the matter. Does he know what was being made?"

"Alternates of myself," Agatha cringed. Now Alex looked at her with shock, and he reached out to the hive mind for clues and answers.  _The drone was discovered in that base. It was transferred in as another military soldier. Now it made sense. The rival antivirus was able to reveal it when it got too close._  Alex needed to kill the antivirus the moment he found it.

"Is it underground?!" Robert asked.

"Yes. One of our drones was sent in, apparently. Routine transfer. The new antivirus there was able to counter it just by being close. Our drone lost its shape. It was one of our scouts," she grimaced. "Osiris is letting me know. Who knows how many other bases like this are out there! A natural enemy to us!"

"Fuck!" Alex seethed. "We'll need to shut down all of them. And I need to be the one to lead the charge. It's something that I know of. But...I think I know why, too."

"Do you?" Robert asked.

"I got stronger off of Agatha rather quickly. I need to become immune to these antiviruses, too. To kill them. To eradicate everything about them. I'll go after this base, but we need to have Osiris locate all of the hidden bases. Find out exactly what they have in them. Blue prints. Defenses. Everything. Research everywhere. If he has anything on this base, have him send the information to Hermanubis. I'll get what I need from him at the island.

"The more bases we can take out, the less of a resistance the military can use against us. If I have to, I'll bring back cellular samples. It's possible...maybe even a long shot...for Agatha to become stronger from them, too. Maybe even the current drones and breeders can benefit as well. But, I don't want what we have to become affected and crumble to pieces. We worked hard to get to where we're at. I don't want to start over. We'll have to see what happens. Right now, this military base needs to be shot down. I'll handle it."

"Ragland will prepare a place for the new cells," Agatha said when Hariti contacted her.

"Good. I'm going to the cryo tube now. The drone was discovered less than an hour ago before it was severed off. Robin will keep in contact with me. Same with Aden and Nick. Don't worry. I'll return to you. Maybe in one piece. Maybe reformed. But, I  _will_  come back to you. I promise," Alex vowed. He moved to his mate's side and kissed her again to reconcile her before leaving for the cryo tube chamber. F _irst course of action is to get to the helicopter. Then I have to go to the base. After that, I need to acquire whatever I can, shut it down, and get out alive. If I don't, Agatha will never let me live it down._

When he got to the island, Hermanubis was pissed. He wanted to go with Alex. As the one who enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, it was ingrained in him to try and tag along. Even as Alex growled at him, the breeder male said, "My King and Emperor, you know I can't let an opportunity like this pass me by! I'll be protecting you, too!"

"And what of Sigyn? What does she think? If you die, what will happen to her?" Alex countered with a sharp glare.

"I gave my cells to Ragland. He can bring me back. She knows this. You have to let me join you! I can help you!" Hermanubis pleaded.

"You're a pain in my ass!" Alex snarled at him. "Fuck it. Fine. You will stay in the fucking helicopter, though. You  _will not_  under any circumstances infiltrate the base! You will only guide the helicopter and keep stragglers from leaving. Got it?!"

"Fuck that! I'm going in with you!"

"No! One man job! It will be too coincidental with more than one!"

"Not if I approach from an opposite side."

"We can't even talk to each other!"

"What do you think the fucking drones are for?! They can talk to each other for us!"

"Fuck me..." Alex sighed and shook his head.

"Besides," Hermanubis said sternly. "Osiris and Isis may be showing up there, too."

"WHAT?!" Alex gaped.

"Think about it," the breeder male said carefully. "They have the original bodies of that Commander and his assistant. This is supposed to be a base under their control. They can help us get in! Maybe as a form of an honor guard!"

"I..." he paused at the thought. "Fuck. Fine. We'll need to consume two humans with the proper uniforms. Good thing I have that Sergeant available as a frozen clone."

"That's not a problem. If we wait here, they will be here within the hour. Maybe even the next ten to twenty minutes."

"You fucking knew this and didn't tell me?!"

"Mother knew you wouldn't understand. I had to get in your face," Hermanubis smirked.

"Your mother is a bitch."

"Yeah. She knows," the breeder male grinned. That got Alex laughing and shaking his head. "We will let you get close to the target, but we have to be there in case the shit hits the fan. You know this. I know this. Even though we could be exposed, we can help you get out. Even if we die, we can still be brought back."

"I'm going with you," Sigyn said, as she appeared next to them.

"No!" her brother growled.

"Fuck you. I'm going," she sniffed.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"You think I want him to have all the fun?!" she pouted. "Besides, he hasn't fucked me yet just for this moment. Osiris and Isis are doing everything they can to keep from fucking each other right now! And, yes, they have some of their drones with them, too."

"I didn't want a big group!" Alex scowled.

"My King and Emperor," she smiled softly. "remember the bodies they have. It would be awkward if they  _didn't_  have a protective group. We will fit right in with them. We go one way, you go the other with a 'direct order'. Get it?"

"I...oh..." Alex blinked at the reasoning.

"We will help you infiltrate and ensure you find the goal," she said with a small grin. "And we will assist in slaughtering everything. Granted, this new thing may hurt us. But, I don't think it can kill us yet. I don't think it's strong enough to do that right now. The scout was unable to hold its form. It wasn't killed off until we severed it from us. It was only discovered when it couldn't hide its identity."

"Agatha was the finished project," Alex mused now, as he recalled Leopold's memories. "These other ones are just lesser versions. They were trying to be improved on in case Agatha failed. That makes more sense."

"We may not get stronger from it, but we may be able to help Mother get stronger," Sigyn giggled. "Yes, maybe you, too, but we'll have to see."

"All right. You both earned your passes to come with me. Just remember the deal. I take out the target. The rest of you will be distraction."

"That's fine," Hermanubis nodded. "As long as I get to help kill something."

"Fine," Alex snorted. Ten minutes later, the helicopter landed with Osiris and Isis. The drones they had were already in their soldier disguises. When the three of them boarded the aircraft and buckled in, their next destination was the hidden base.


	47. Chapter 47

When the helicopter landed, Osiris and Isis were using their disguised forms to perfection. Hermanubis and Sigyn were able to use their disguises from random soldiers that infiltrated the island. Alex still had the guise from Sergeant Thomas, but he knew he was going to need another one. Osiris already had the idea for him to gain the appearance of the head man in the base. That man was now being called for.

"I heard the alarm!" Osiris said in his Commander's guise. "I want to talk to Joseph! Now! I need an explanation!"

"Yes, Sir!" several soldiers said in unison. Low level grunts were easy to maintain. And, when they had their backs turned, the drones took them out to gain their appearances. Nodding now, they moved into the base swiftly. Isis kept writing notes on her iPad, but it was mainly map documentation for Alex. Hermanubis was itching to hunt down humans, but Sigyn kept him under control with light reassurances. When they got to the office of the base's director, the man was gone.  _Where did he go?_

"I can hunt him..." Hermanubis muttered.

"No," Alex growled. "He's my kill."

"Look," Isis said, as she pointed to a screen. "He's in the antivirus chamber! What is he doing? I don't get it."

Alex studied the screen intensely. Then he hissed. _The man was trying to merge himself with the antivirus!_ "I gotta fuck him up! Now!"

"What's going on?!" Osiris asked.

"He's trying to boost himself off of that fucking antivirus!" Alex seethed.

"The camera displaying the room is in the center of this base!" Sigyn said.

"Everything gets fucked up from here. I don't fucking care!" Alex ordered. Osiris was now at the controls to study them. Isis was going through files and documents. Hermanubis and Sigyn were now able to finally hunt down and slaughter everything in their path that gave them resistance. Alex was able to find a map diagram and study it. Then he muttered to himself, ran into another chamber, and consumed a lone scientist that tried to shoot him. "Much better. Now I know where to go. Okay, Joseph. Let's say hi."

He smirked and calmly walked towards the center of the base. His body started to burn, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.  _Sigyn was right. It was a lesser antivirus of Agatha. Maybe one of the weakest. That didn't mean it was any less dangerous. It had to be destroyed._

"That's right, my creation! Join with me! I will make you stronger!" the human said, as he put himself into the tank. Unlike the other tanks, this one was only half the size of the normal ones. The top of the tank was lifted up to gain easy access. "The others would seek your destruction! I will have you thrive! Join with my flesh. We will show them what power you have through me!"

"So you think," Alex hissed, as he dropped the form he had. Oh, he felt the burn from being close to the lesser antivirus. But, he felt something else, too.  _My body was adapting to it._ The blood he had taken in from Agatha was responding to become stronger than this lesser one. And, when it got stronger, so did he. Right before the mad scientist's very eyes, Alex's form shuddered and shifted. His form got a touch leaner. His hearing even got sharper. He was now able to move faster and hear farther than before. Now he realized that he  _had_ to find the other antiviruses. _I could evolve to become something even more. And my drones would benefit._

"What...are you...?!" the man asked with shock.

"Project Zeus. Your worst fucking nightmare!" Alex grinned wickedly and launched himself at the tank. Ripping the shocked human to pieces was easy. He did consume him, too, to learn what he needed to about the base. When he looked down into the tank, he noticed that the antivirus was a small blob of semi-formed flesh. _And it was very sentient._  It seemed to be huddled down at the bottom.  _It was scared._  It almost reminded him of a child.

"My King and Emperor!" Hermanubis said when he walked into the chamber. He winced at the mild burn he got, but Alex held up his hand.

"I got this," Alex said. "Stay put."

"Of course," the breeder male nodded.

"Come to me," Alex said in the most soothing voice he could muster. He dipped his hand into the tank fluid. The small blob seemed to hesitate. Then a small tendril formed to carefully touch one of his fingers. "That's right. It's okay. Can you tell me what you know?"

He remembered that Agatha told him she was aware in her tank before any of the scientists knew.  _It was the same thing with this one._ The blob couldn't talk, though. It wasn't even formed properly. He had to resort to memories. On closing his eyes, he pulled up what Joseph knew.  _The antivirus was clearly one of the last ones to be developed. It was an offshoot to just produce vaccines. It was one that was to be made for the general public._ It clearly didn't like the fate given to it, and Alex actually sympathized with it.

Then he noticed that the small blob was able to feel what he thought. The tendril latched onto his finger and coiled around it. Agatha's blood was sensed in him, and it was using that to communicate to him through.  _Even though it was a lesser antivirus, it was still Agatha._ Once the connection was established, he could reason with it. Now he could even sense that it was unhappy.  _That it knew it was made to be killed off when it was done with._ With a mental thought that another chance could be offered, the small blob seemed to tremble with joy. _It wanted to be something more. It wanted to join sides. Maybe, it could even merge completely to Agatha. It was something that would need to be experimented with on a cautious level._

When the other breeders and drones appeared, Hermanubis kept them back with a mental command. They watched their Emperor commune with the blob. More tendrils seemed to appear from it, and it pulled itself up to him. Then it started to coat over him.

"My King and Emperor!" Osiris hissed.

"It's fine," Alex said. "Get me a transport tank."

"You're not going to kill it?" Isis frowned.

"No. Think of this one as...a child. It's scared. I got stronger from it, but it's different from the others. Maybe they are all the same. Maybe not. This one wants to live. It was only designed for vaccine purposes only. It wants to be something more. Ragland may be able to help give it a form. A shape. Something. It clearly doesn't want what it was designed to be," Alex sighed. "I don't know if it will become something like your mother, but it wants to help us. It can help us get stronger. It wants revenge, too."

"Oh..." Sigyn frowned. "How will we get it to the base?"

"If we can find a small tank, we could have the helicopter transport it. I don't know if we can transfer it to a cryo tube, though," Alex admitted. "Unless we bring Ragland here first. Then we see what he can do. I'd rather not, though."

"Hariti really needs him," Isis agreed. "It doesn't have a shape?"

"No. It can't even stay out of the fluid for very long. It'll dry out," Alex frowned. Then he carefully ran a finger over a small tendril. "It's okay. We'll figure out something."

"Can it break off into smaller pieces for easier transport?" Hermanubis now asked. At this, the small blob thought. Then it started to do just that. It was designed to do this for quick dispersal. Alex grinned now. Smaller containers were quickly found, filled with tank fluid, and various blob pieces were now sealed within them.

"It can reform later. I want to take as much of this fluid as possible," Alex said. More containers were found and filled until the tank was almost empty. "Get another helicopter here with space for transport."

"Already on its way," Osiris nodded. "I'm not sure how strong the containers are for deep sea travel to the base. What should we do?"

"We'll test one with just fluid in it. We can have a drone transport it first. If it works, I'd rather have the cryo tubes transport the actual antivirus pieces," Alex said.

"I don't even burn around it anymore!" Sigyn smiled.

"Good. Our drones will benefit," Alex nodded. "I want to find the other bases. I got stronger just by being around this one. My senses of speed and hearing also improved. I need the other bases. Osiris, you'll need to track them down to arrange visits. From what Joseph's thoughts tell me, the other bases are scattered everywhere. A trip to Japan will be needed soon. That's where the strongest antivirus offshoot is located. I want that one out of the way. Fast."

"This one was the weakest?" Isis asked.

"It was. I can work with the next strongest antivirus form after that. From what I know, the others are just like this one. No shape. But, when it comes to the base in Japan, who knows what they could have done to have fixed that," Alex muttered.

"All too true," Isis agreed. "Hmm. The one I took over. Her brother might know something. Sakuma. I can have Amaterasu talk to him about what he remembers."

"Do that. We have an antivirus to transport," Alex nodded. A small transport car was found and now containers were hefted onto it to take to the base entrance. Hermanubis and Sigyn combed through the base to clean it out of every possible resource. Survivors were killed. Anything of a cellular database level was scavenged for transport. When the second helicopter arrived, Alex was pleased that it was a military cargo class Boeing CH-47 Chinook.  _It would easily carry what we needed. It could even carry what food supplies we had._

"I solved our problem with transport to the underwater base. I have the submarine waiting for us at the island," Osiris said. "It will be much easier to transport than waiting for cryo tubes. Don't worry. I, ah, took care of the monitoring crew."

"Excellent," Alex grinned. The next hour was seen to transporting the new goods, antivirus, and supplies. And, for good measure, the explosion seen behind them was beneficial to their thoughts that the base could never be used again.


	48. Chapter 48

The moment Alex stepped foot onto the familiar base's floor, he went straight to his mate. He needed her. The moment she saw him, he was launched at to hug tight. The only thing that surprised him was that it was her hair that pulled him to her. Now he realized that she was in the throes of labor.  _She with-held giving birth until I got back. She was in birthing pains for the last hour and couldn't do anything about it._

"Hera! Why didn't...?!" Alex hissed.

"I couldn't...not without you here...!" she whimpered. "Please...!"

"I'm here now," he growled and moved to show he was ready. She cried out at long last when the eggs started to be delivered. Now he knew that he couldn't leave her when she was pregnant.  _She had to be empty of eggs, or she would suffer if I took too long._ He thought other drones could assist her.  _Her body instinctively refused to give up the eggs. The same thing would have happened to Robert, if he tried to help her. It was an unexpected twist to her situation._ Only after the eggs were finally delivered from her to the tentacles was he able to rock her and comfort her. Her body was still shivering from all the pain she went through.

"An hour..." she whimpered. "I went through an hour...of that..."

"I'll make sure you're egg free before I leave again. I promise," he muttered. "We'll spend today charting out the base in Japan. I know that John had other bases. I mentioned them before. And, I know that cameras still need to be delivered to the island."

"Think about it later," she whispered and gave him a kiss full of need. As he finally showed how much he missed her, Amaterasu was talking to her mate.

"Ran is sleeping," she smiled. "Mother is finally free of her eggs."

"Good. It did worry me," Sakuma nodded. "None could help her!"

"I know. Oh! Um...can you tell me what you know of the hidden base? You may know of it," she said. "Your sister's memories do show that she did talk about it with you."

"Ah. Briefly, but yes. The main compound is actually under one of the main technical workstations that belong to my family. It will be hard to navigate through. Hikari did tell me that she followed John into it once. Their last visit there. Father was with them. So...wait..."

"Your father knows?!" she gasped.

"He did...he fucking knew everything, too!" he winced. "Now that I think of everything she told me...I mean...what the hell am I supposed to think of now?!"

"Should we take him over?" she frowned.

"I don't know," he admitted. "What does Osiris know? Can you tell?"

"Good question!" she blinked and thought to the hive mind. "John never really showed your father much. He was only needed, since the base was to be built under the facility. Mainly for approval. Your father never knew why it had to be made. It was supposed to be for extra storage. But, that's what he was told. Um...now that's interesting..."

"What is?" Sakuma frowned.

"Your sister...her DNA was stored there! For a viable strand!" she gasped. "There may be another like Mother already there!"

"Are you serious?!" Sakuma fumed. "We need to destroy that DNA."

"Why destroy it?"

"I don't want my sister used for anything more to this. Granted, Isis took her over. I don't want my sister to be desecrated any further. I...owe her that much."

"Mother agrees with you," Amaterasu nodded. "We plan to go to Japan next, too."

"I'm going to do something. I need to talk to Alex," Sakuma said, as he stood up. "You'll be all right here?"

"Yes. What do you plan to do?"

"Give him a little of my blood so he can get my memories. Maybe even one of his drones could do it. I heard it had happened before. I think it's needed. This way I can stay with you. He can plan out the next mission with what he learns from me."

"A drone is at the door," she beamed. He kissed her hard and walked out to the hallway. A lesser version of Nick nodded to show it was ready to collect the blood. A small amount was given over quickly. When Sakuma left to go back to Amaterasu, Alex studied the new memories he received. What he found out was a bit surprising.

"Okay," he muttered. "The base is located on one of the remote islands. Interesting..."

"It is?" Agatha blinked. "I thought it was in the mainland!"

"No. The entrance is in the mainland. An underwater chute leads to the base. Apparently, there is a specialized device that can get us there. It's also where the top secret weapons lab is. This is what I had gleaned from a drone from Osiris. From John's memories. From that technician, though...hmm..."

"More information?" she asked and nuzzled into him. He ran a hand over her developing belly, as he thought over everything.

"Yes. Tell Osiris that it's known as Site Three. He needs to pull up everything about that base. Japan is a whole time zone away, too. I'll need to make sure you have no eggs in you. I don't want you to suffer like that again."

"Okay," she nodded.

"When you give birth to these, I'll have the Commander fuck you next. After those breeders are birthed, I'll head out. We'll plan strategically. Osiris and Isis may join me, too. Hermanubis will also insist to come along. I would send in the technician drone, but I don't want it discovered. We didn't get any extra vials of blood from the man, either. As much as I want to take a flight, the submarine will work. It will be faster than air. Maybe."

"More drones with you, too," she smiled. He nodded at that. "What is going on with the antivirus? Do we know?"

"Ragland is studying it. He wants to bring a small piece of it to you. But, it will only be done after you give birth to our drones. Should have done that first, but...well..."

"I'm sure he would understand the wait," she grinned and kissed him hard. As they tended to each other, Ragland was clearly floored with the small piece of antivirus that separated for him. The rest of it was in a small tank in a room with the rest of the cell cultures. It was about a foot and a half around in size. The part it gave over was a half-inch round sphere. It had to be held in the solution that carried it. Any air exposure could kill it off.

"Hmm..." Ragland mused, as he studied it. "It's almost as though each piece is a sentient structure! It must be how it was easy to be separated and parted out to different labs. The larger the piece, the more powerful the being. And, if Japan has the most advanced one just under Agatha...very interesting, indeed."

"Dearest?" Hariti frowned, as she walked over. Eir was being watched over by Karl. He was chosen to be her destined stud male. "Is something wrong?"

"No. The antivirus is very complex. It's going to take some time for me to study it. However, I do believe that it can merge back to Agatha rather easily. All of this is still 'her', if you think about it. As though it was separated from her as she was still forming. Is Agatha safe to approach? Or not right now?" Ragland asked.

"She is pregnant again. It wouldn't be wise. We should wait until she is free of eggs."

"True. Just to make sure the eggs won't be affected. Good idea," he nodded.

"There wouldn't be a vaccine for my King and Emperor, would there? In case this other antivirus is too much?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not. All Alex can do is evolve to become stronger. I would say to make Japan last, but he has a good idea. If he can take out this stronger antivirus, then the others wouldn't do much at all. I wouldn't trust Agatha to be there with him, either. If he can evolve first, then the other antiviruses out there can't do anything. He could even return to Agatha to see if he can evolve further if she does. That much is clearly a given. If I give her this piece, and it enhances her, then he would need to be with her to evolve, too. It would go hand in hand. Who knows what the pieces away from her could unlock in her!"

"Just like how he increased his speed and hearing by evolving, too," Hariti nodded. "He plans to leave after the next batch of breeders are birthed. So, likely by tomorrow."

"That's fine. I'll work on trying to make him a stronger antiviral cure. I may be able to use Agatha's blood to help. Feel free to let him know."

"I already informed Mother, and she agrees. If you need more blood from her, I can get it. I would say to try with a fresh cell. There are a lot more of them now. Ah! Mother is agreeing! It may be stronger than her blood! My King and Emperor will assist in getting the cell for you. As we all know, only he likes to handle Mother's cells."

"Perfect!" he smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I shall continue to work on this and see what a pure cell from Agatha will do."

"Of course, Brad," she giggled. "When Mother is stable, my King and Emperor will retrieve the cell you need. Within an hour, I think."

"He can take his time," he chuckled. As she left to see to Eir, he continued to run small tests on the tiny antiviral piece in the clear tube before him.


	49. Chapter 49

The moment Alex got Ragland the cell that was needed, he stayed to see what happened. He needed to know everything. Agatha was escorted with him to the lab to watch her mate get injected with the fresh antiviral cure to make him stronger. They wouldn't know if it worked, but they would see in time. Next was the wait for her to birth the drone eggs. While she was safely resting in the bed, Alex was in the control room of the lab and musing over the files sent to him from Osiris. Most of them were blueprints of the lab he had to infiltrate.

"My King and Emperor," Hermes said, as he walked in. "what do you plan to do?"

"Study the fuck out of this base. I know Hermanubis is gonna want in. I know Osiris and Isis need to be there, too. Did Rhea give birth to her drones yet?" Alex asked.

"Funny you should ask. She did. They seem to have the same time-line of developing, too. About fifty of them, from what she was able to tell me. Cronus had to help her deliver them. This first batch seems to be waiting. Then, after two days or so, they may start to grow. Same thing with Mother. And that reminds me. Dana's pregnant again," Hermes chuckled.

"Good!" Alex grinned. "What's the status on the specialized breeders? How have they been developing?"

"Ah. Ragland will give Mother some of the sperm he made for you before Father is with her. Bruce should be able to get his breeder female to bond when she forms next in Mother. Osiris was thinking that, after this Japan base is seen to, another raid is done on the island," Hermes thought. "He thinks it's important."

"No. Not until the other bases are dealt with."

"My King and Emperor, we need more stud males. You know this, too."

"Fuck..."

"And, with how fast the Queens develop, you know we need more."

"Pain in my fucking ass..." Alex grimaced. He looked over when Geb appeared. "What is it? You have something to tell me?"

"Yes," Geb nodded. "Sekhmet and I have decided that we want to live in Japan. Since Steve is now fully secured with a breeder female, we want to see what else we can do. We could even go so far as to infiltrate Sakuma's family with drones. They have plenty of servants, and it would be easy to do to figure out what we need to do next."

"Hmm. What does Sakuma think?" Hermes asked.

"He doesn't know yet. I can have Amaterasu talk to him," Geb said.

"Do it. We know his father lied to him. If he wants more family secrets, it may be the way to go. We don't even know if his brothers or other family members were in on it," Alex said. "I don't want to touch his brothers, anyways. One of them won't even be useful."

"Yeah. We had that discussion," Hermes nodded. "The only way that one would work was if it was a drone that took him over. Huh. Now that I think about it..."

"What?" Alex asked now.

"He would be the safest one to get close to," Hermes smirked. "Let me talk to Sakuma."

"Fine," Alex snorted. When the breeder males left, he went back to scouring over the blueprints. At the sound of another coming over, he glared at the doorway.

"My Emperor," Cronus said, as he came in.

"Cronus. What do you want?"

"I was hoping to come with you to Japan."

"For what purpose?"

"To hone my skills in battle."

"No."

"My Emperor..." Cronus frowned. "Why not?"

"Rhea needs you here. With her. Secondly, I am the badass. Not you. It's my fight. You will be leaving for the Australian base the moment I get back. Your first set of breeders will be ready. She could even be on the second set of them. Is she pregnant with them right now?"

"Right now it's happening," Cronus muttered. "I had to leave the room."

"Trust me. I know the feeling all too well," Alex nodded. "But, the studs are needed."

"I know that, too. Do you think sperm could be created for me?"

"No. You know that your mother is the only one able to create the specialized breeders. If it was any other...she may feel that her job is done."

"That's right," Cronus cringed at the memories given to him as a reminder. "We can't have that."

"Exactly. You are strong enough as you are. However, there may be a time that I may call on you for assistance. Until then, you need to work on developing your army in the new base. Then you can start sending your breeders and drones into the Australian mainland to inhabit other far regions within the continent. Like I said, a set of breeders and a few of your drones will be here for me to speak with."

"Of course, my Emperor," he nodded and turned. Then he hissed in pain when Alex was at his back with a clawed hand sinking into his shoulder. His other clawed hand was ready to rip the rest of him in half, if there was a struggle.

"And don't you fucking  _dare_  think that you can replace me!" Alex snarled. "That's the other fucking reason you aren't joining me!"

"Yes...my Emperor...!" Cronus gasped when he was flung away easily. Alex was proving that he was stronger. That he was the better of them both. Cronus would regenerate quickly, but he was properly put in his place. At the sound of Agatha's shout, Alex narrowed his eyes and moved into her bedroom. His enhanced hearing had him prepared for the wrath she was going to give him. At her small glare, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"That was uncalled for!" she scowled. She was too heavy to move. "He only wanted to help! There was no need for you to injure him!"

"Hera..." Alex said softly to calm her. "I only did it, because...think about it. What happened with me when I went to the last base? I evolved. Right?"

"Yes..." she shivered.

"I don't want any new Kings to have that advantage. Yes, they will need to get stronger, too. However, it can't be done at the source. We have to control their strengths. Do you see why? I had to show him that I meant business. It will always be that way. There was no other option," he soothed. She sighed and nodded. She hated to admit that he was right.  _He was the Emperor. No other could ever become stronger than him._  "He'll heal up just fine with a good sized steak. I'm sure he's healing right now before seeing to Rhea."

"He is," she frowned. Now he moved to sit next to her and placed a hand on her belly.

"You are my equal. My mate and Empress. I will kill  _anything_  that fucking tries to touch you!" he growled and kissed her hard. "And I know that you will do the same for me."

"Without a single thought," she growled and kissed him back. "As for the idea on taking over that one family member of Sakuma's..."

"The one that likes men?" he smirked and nuzzled her neck.

"Yes. Sakuma...actually agreed to it. He mainly squanders away money from his father like nothing. Like a leech, from how the man is being described. Even his father isn't too fond of this one. However, I think, instead of squandering it away, the money gets sent here," she grinned. "If not solid cash, maybe in trade supplies and artifacts. Sort of like the usual fancy gift he would get for a lover, but worth an insane amount of money."

"Really?" Alex mused.

"Also, I think another drone should take over a random male to be that destined drone's 'date'. It would work. No pregnancies. No marriage. Just a feel of being in a relationship."

"The only time they would need to act would be in a public setting," Alex mused even more. "I like the idea. I don't care to see it, but I do like the ruse."

"Much like how John and Lynette were always together, it could be the same with the drones. A breeder set could be used, though. I'm sure a female could take on the appearance of a male, but I'm not sure. What do you think?"

At a knock on the door, Alex gave a mental nod to Robin. Geb and Sekhmet walked in to sit down and talk to them. Agatha blinked at what they wanted, and she found herself giggling.

"Let us do that job," Sekhmet chuckled.

"Really? You would become the form of a man?" Alex grinned.

"My King and Emperor, I'm sure you became the form of a woman before, too. I'm sure you had to in order to get certain things done. Even to get close to others, or to blend in, right?" Sekhmet grinned back. At the look Alex gave next, Agatha died laughing.

"You're a bitch," Alex scowled at her.

"And you love me for it," Agatha giggled again.

"Fine. The two of you can tag along. Actually, go to Japan first. Secure the home needed as a new base of operations. Learn what you can. I'll give you both three days. It will give Cronus and Rhea time to settle into the Australian base and report any issues. I may have two breeder sets done by the time you report back. If that's the case, Osiris might be able to send over a raiding party to the island. I'm sure Hermanubis is bored out of his fucking mind."

"My Empress," Kim said, as it walked in with a massive slab of cooked Hunter heart. It barely fit the platter it was served on. "This was just delivered from Hermanubis."

"That's the largest fucking piece of heart I've seen yet!" Alex said with disbelief. "I wonder now...could it be possible..."

"What?" Agatha asked, as she started to tear into the heart slice.

"I want to try stunning one of those Hunters and set it loose in Japan," Alex grinned wickedly. "It would keep those military dickheads away from us..."

"Hermanubis is up to the challenge!" Geb said, as he grinned just as wickedly. "He is now requesting strong sleeping drugs and tranquilizers!"

"Hariti will see about getting Ragland to develop some," Sekhmet smiled. When Robert walked in, he nodded to them all and rested a hand on his son's shoulder. At the size of the nearly demolished Hunter heart slab, he now realized how big the viral monsters were getting.

"I was just told what's going on. Alex, is it possible for you to create a hive in Japan?" Robert asked. "I'm not sure if it's possible..."

"No. I can't create something like that. But, if we can transport a couple of those large fuckers to the Japanese mainland, then it would give us something to watch on the live video feeds," Alex snickered. "It would also draw attention away from me when I need to get into the base. What would be the bigger threat? Something destroying the city and causing mass mayhem? Or something sneaking in that they can't detect, anyways, and not damaging property? You would think that they would want to calm the public first to keep riots down."

"Ah! Distractions! I can see that now!" Robert blinked at the logic. "If we can drug up even two of those nasty motherfuckers, I could see where the best place to put them would be."

"Do it!" Alex grinned.

"Let's see if Hermanubis can catch one first," Robert smirked. "I'll study some maps."

"I'll join you," Geb nodded. "I need to see where Sekhmet and I can live."

"I want to help!" Sekhmet said, and she jumped up to walk with them.

"We'll see what they come up with," Agatha smiled.

"Of course," Alex muttered and kissed her. Robin had already secured the door for them.

"So, Zeus, how many women did you become?" she grinned. "You have me curious."

"You're a bitch!" he snarled and claimed her to neatly shut her up.


	50. Chapter 50

Osiris was going over various files that contained profiles of hardened soldiers in the den. He was also thinking of what he had to do when it came to transporting even one of the massive Hunters from the island. He was deep in thought about everything, and he sighed to himself on the issues he mulled over. Isis came up to him to press against his back and run her hands over his broad, lean shoulders. He leaned back into her with a small smile.

"Free of eggs already?" he mused.

"You helped me with that just a moment ago. I just finished healing from all the stretching," she smirked. Then she frowned at his thoughts. "Don't beat yourself up over this, brother love. We'll figure something out."

"I know. I just...I feel that there's something there. We just aren't grasping it! Hmm."

"That's right! Demeter and Hephaestus are already in Japan! So are Hades and Hathor, too!" Isis blinked. "They've been scoping out various sections, too, huh? They even have a safe house in the countryside. A few places, actually."

"That they do. One of their safe houses isn't too far from the base we need to reach. Come to think of it, they gave me an awesome idea," Osiris grinned.

"Oh?" she chuckled and got pulled into his lap to get fondled.

"We send in a raiding party for 'samples' of the large Hunters. We let them take down what they can. Hermanubis can lure the fuckers out into the open. We have plenty of tissue samples from the hearts they give Mother. We can have Ragland test the tissues to see what drugs will work the best and the longest."

"Okay. But...what about transport?" she muttered at the massage he was giving to her breasts and thighs. At the sharp gasp she rewarded him with when he started to rub between her legs, he gave a slightly wicked grin.

"We still have the drone bearing Sakuma's form out there. We can let the drone drop in a word to Sakuma's father that his sister, you, of course, gave him a tip to collect a possible live specimen," he growled and nibbled over her jawline. "Have a few drones become part of the collection crew when they get the Hunter..."

"Let them fuck up the controls to let it run rampant in the city?" she giggled.

"Why the fuck not?" he mumbled and hissed at the small bite she gave his neck.

"Fucking is a key word here, isn't it?" Isis grinned and shrieked when Osiris finally snapped, set her on the desk, and started to take her right there. Now that they were neatly preoccupied, Agatha was telling Alex everything they sent to her.

"I like that idea," Alex chuckled.

"Amaterasu is telling Sakuma now," she smiled. "He thinks it may work."

"As much as I should be there to help with the transport, if it should happen, I should stay here. You need me," he frowned.

"No. You need to be there. You can take over a soldier and hide out in the ranks. I won't let Robert fuck me until you get back. You need to ensure that the Hunter will distract them all when you are ready to infiltrate the base. Hermanubis is going to be with you, too. You can meet up with Hephaestus and the others out there, and they'll help you get into the base. I'm quite sure that Osiris and Isis will be there, too. Through them, I'll know that you're safe. Oh. That reminds me. Did you swap out that piece of yourself that you stored here?"

"Not yet. I'll do that now. You have another ten minutes until you give birth. Sekhmet and Geb will need to come with me, too, in order to get close to their new targets. And don't you fucking dare ask me what I know you want to ask me!"

"I wasn't thinking of anything," she winked. He smirked at her, kissed her roughly, and left to swap out the piece of himself. He knew she was going to approach that piece of antivirus to see what happened. That would happen right after the eggs were out.

"There you are! New game plans?" Robert asked, as he walked over to the lab.

"Yeah. Osiris and Isis suggested, to Agatha, of course, that a reconnaissance crew be sent in to try and help capture the biggest Hunter. Then, with the Sakuma drone, a tip is dropped to Sakuma's dad to help transport the fucker. You would think that Japan would be all for it. They may even have the ships available. Then, while during transport, we wake the fucker up. While it's causing the distraction, I slip into the base. We'll need to make sure that it wakes up close enough to the base entrance. I hope it all goes according to the plan."

"Right. What will happen with Agatha?"

"You will fuck her to get the next set of breeders made. Right after they get birthed, I'll be heading out. You don't touch her. This can also be seen as her time of relaxation from getting pregnant. It may help her feel that much more revitalized, too. Anyways, I'm swapping out a piece of myself. Then, after Agatha is egg free, she wants to meet that lesser part of herself. I need to make sure that she'll be all right."

"I'll be there, too," Robert nodded. "I'm sure many of the kids will want to be there, as well. I'll go wait in the cellular room."

"Fine," Alex nodded. When he left, Alex was able to absorb the piece he left behind. He gave a small wince, as the portion got stronger, and he was forced to endure a brief flash of pain from the antiviral cures in his body. After it settled out, he was able to leave a new piece of himself in the small tank. Nodding to himself, he went back to Agatha to help her birth the eggs. Five minutes later, they were all out of her.

"Last one?" she gasped after the egg was removed.

"Yep," he nodded and set it into a tentacle. "Let's get you healed up. Then it's the antiviral chamber for a reunion."

"I hope I don't injure you," she frowned.

"It's doubtful. Ragland has been making cures for me up the ass. I'll be fine. I'm just worried about you. I don't want this thing to change you. I don't want it to make you forget anything. I honestly don't know what to expect," he admitted.

"I wonder," Agatha blinked.

"What is it, Hera?" he asked.

"When the bomb was removed, it also took out the parts in my brain that had me download my memories, right?" she asked. "Or was that left in?"

"That's a good question," Alex thought. "I would have thought that Ragland removed everything. Why do you ask?"

"Well...if something could be transplanted in again..." she thought. "then uploaded into a computer so that, if something does happen, I could have my memories downloaded back to me. I mean...what do you think?"

"I don't like the thought of something getting implanted into you, but, when you put it like that," he thought. "we would need to see if it worked. Then the kids would need to reintroduce themselves to you so that you know who they are. Even in the hive links. From what we know, personal thoughts don't count. But, I wonder if a hive mind is different..."

"I'm sure nothing like that would happen, but it's just in case something does happen. You know? Let's see what happens with this antivirus section. If my thoughts are wrong, then we won't worry about it. But, if it's true..."

"Okay," Alex nodded.

"I love you, Zeus," she smiled.

"I love you, too, Hera," he said with a light smile. He kissed her hard and forced himself back. Being egg free, even for a short while, was going to kill him if he wasn't careful. The first stop was the lab to contact Ragland, but he was already made aware from Hariti. Karl was watching over Eir. Dana and Hermes were in the chamber now, and he had a protective hand over her belly. Cronus was even there with Carlos. Rhea was safely tucked away in her room with developing breeder eggs. Apollo and Dionysus had to be there. Athena and Aphrodite were too heavy with eggs to move.

Geb was able to appear with Sekhmet. As much as Geb wanted to, Sekhmet was forcing him to keep her egg free. She would be able to be with him after this. Quite a few breeder sets were still there and present. Most of them were still newly hatched and wanted to see what happened for themselves. Robert was, of course, in the room. He didn't know what to expect.

"I hope Mother will be all right," Hermes frowned.

"She'll be fine," Dana smiled and leaned into him. He ran a hand up her side to squeeze her. "And don't worry. If anything happens, you can take me back to the room."

"Deal," he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"The tank is ready," Ragland said. He was able to grab the small antiviral piece and, before he could put it back in the tank, Alex stopped him.

"Give that to Agatha," Alex said.

"Ah! As a test! Yes, of course," the doctor nodded. He presented the small container to Agatha, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. She actually felt a direct kinship with it. She knew that this was a part of her that was missing. It never affected her before, but, just by being near it, she knew she needed it back. She placed her fingers into the container, but nothing happened. She blinked and thought.

"It can't merge?" Alex frowned.

"I...oh! I'm doing it wrong," she smiled. She focused on her hair and let a tentacle reach in to snatch up the piece. She had to consume it. Once the piece was absorbed, she staggered and coughed. Alex narrowed his eyes and held her, but it was over quickly.

"Mother?!" Apollo asked with concern. Dionysus had his jaw dropped. Her other children were stunned. For just a brief moment, her connection with the hive mind was severed. Then it was reformed. She held up her hand to show she was fine.

"I'm okay," she said with a nod. "It's just balancing myself again. That's all. I may have to take in small segments. I'm not sure with the stronger one."

"We lost you from the hive link," Dionysus winced.

"She was blocked?!" Alex gaped.

"Not really blocked. More like...temporarily put into a stasis. Much like how you are when you get frozen in the cryo tube," Apollo said, as he put it into a more detailed explanation. "She was there, yet not there. So, our link was still safe. She just wasn't able to be sensed."

"She came back to us when her body balanced," Hariti nodded. "We don't know what will happen if a larger piece is taken."

"Let me try with the rest," Agatha said.

"Should be in pieces," Alex muttered. She smiled and stroked his cheek gently.

"I'll be fine," she smiled. He kissed her and nodded. She approached the small tank where the rest of the small piece of herself was. It was ready to join her. When she let another tentacle slip into the solution bath, it coiled around the small piece. When it absorbed into her hair, her body went rigid. The reason why she lost part of the hive mind, was because she was trying to get memories. The small part she recently took didn't have it. Now that she was able to get the rest of it, she had gained the memories that the small piece had. She now saw what it endured. She let out a cry of hatred and intense livid rage.

"Agatha?!" Alex hissed.

"Kill...all of them...!" she seethed. Her children were tense with their own rage. "All of those motherfuckers...they all need to die...!"

"My King and Emperor, take blood from me!" Apollo said. He exposed his wrist. Cronus was about to let him take blood, but he relented. He glanced over at Carlos, and even he could feel the rage the others were going through. Robert could clearly see that something bad had to have happened. The moment Alex took the blood from the breeder male, he stood still. He gleaned the memories. Then he looked at Agatha with a rather thoughtful expression.

"Send a mission to Osiris," Alex said lightly. "To locate every single scientist that was a part of your creation. Every single man that dared to touch your various forms. All of them."

"What happened?" Robert frowned.

"This small piece of her..." Alex said with a quiet form of rage. "they tried to fuck it. To force it to breed. They raped it. They tried to give it a form, and, when it was solid enough, they tried to see what they could do. When it couldn't be bred out, they abandoned that part and focused on cures. It lost its shape after that. It's also why it was so scared at the bottom of the tank. The fucker that tried to merge with it was one of them."

"You're kidding..." Robert paled.

"No. But, unknown to them, it kept the one thing it could to try and gain vengeance, if it got strong enough. It kept DNA samples from every single man that touched it," Alex smirked. "Agatha, can you extract that part? To help us find them? We may have killed most of them at that base, but this will help us find the ones that got transferred out."

"I..." she shivered and held out her hand. A small, multi-colored sphere of goo appeared. Each color contained a small fragment of DNA.  _There were quite a few colors._  Hariti was able to collect it to take to the lab for analysis. Agatha was still shaking with horror and anger. Alex was now at her side to hug her and calm her down. At a glance to Cronus, the young King took that message all too well. He muttered to Carlos, and the stud male left quickly.  _Any human, other than Robert, could be seen as a threat right now. Even with her blood in their system._  Dionysus kept a hand on his father's arm to show he was safe and protected. Apollo did the same thing. On seeing that, Alex nodded and returned his complete focus to his enraged mate.

"Let me be the one to get vengeance for you," he whispered.

"I know...I need breeders...but..." she winced.

"Robert, you're delayed another seven hours. It will give Osiris more time to send in a crew of men to help with the Hunter," Alex muttered.

"It's fine," Robert nodded. Even he knew that Agatha needed her mate. Alex scooped her up and took her into their bedroom. Geb and Sekhmet were glancing at each other.

"Do we make eggs now? Or do we wait?" Sekhmet asked.

"Let's make an army," Geb nodded. "The new drones will help us in tracking down the ones that violated Mother. Even though it wasn't her, it was still a part of her. Who knows what other parts of her were touched? We will find them all and bring them all back to Mother!"

"I think all of the drones from this batch are going to see to that," Dionysus smirked.

"As will mine with my next batch," Cronus mused.

"I'm taking you to bed," Hermes said to Dana when he scooped her up. He had an uncontrollable urge to protect her now. Even she didn't argue with him. When he got like this, it was pointless to argue over an instinctive response.

"Cronus, what do you think will happen now?" Robert asked.

"All Hell will break loose. You know. The usual bullshit," the young King grinned wickedly. Then they all dispersed to their rooms to plan out the Hunter extraction to Japan. The sooner it got done, the sooner Alex could get to Japan to find out what happened to Agatha's next strongest section. Even Osiris was fearing the worst. _If Lynette's DNA strand was already introduced, who knew what they would find there?_


	51. Chapter 51

Five hours later, a drop plane let down fifteen soldiers. The military was shocked at the report that Osiris gave out that stronger Hunters were being found. A camera was successfully installed, and Hermanubis was able to get in an up-close shot of the latest monster. Of course, when a threat of this scale was seen, how else was the military supposed to respond?

"Sir! Where was this fucker located?!" a masked soldier asked.

"South bound. Along the coast," the squad leader snorted under his mask. None of them were informed of the previous failed missions. There was no need to tell them anything. However, the Sakuma drone had gained a copy of the image. A phone call to Osiris was done, and arrangements were made by Sakuma's father to try and gain a specimen. He saw it as a new weapon of war, and he had to send his own group of his military's finest.

"Sir, what are waiting for?" an anxious soldier asked.

"Back up. We are to rendezvous with them here," the squad leader replied.

"Where are they coming from?" he asked.

"Japan. Don't give me any looks! I'm just taking orders like the rest of you! The guys being sent in could be our rivals. Just fan out and keep sharp! Don't go alone!"

"Sir, yes, Sir!" they all said as one. Two drones were watching carefully and made a distraction to get two of the soldiers away from them. They were easily taken over and replaced. Now with the spies in place, the hive mind began to lure in the larger Hunters. Hermanubis smirked from where he watched everything from the hospital cameras. He was impatient.

"Brother, dear," Sigyn giggled and rested a hand on his shoulder. She was pregnant again and not allowed to join the hunt.

"These humans are assholes. I want them all to die," he growled.

"And the Japanese men on their way here?"

"One of them is a woman."

"Oh? Now that's odd!"

"Best sniper in their field, apparently. Took out their best guy in a target scope test."

"What do they plan to use her for?"

"To snipe from the helicopter. Shoot the drugs in. This is what our infiltrated drone is telling us. We did have Osiris send out samples of the Hunter hearts to the Japan lab, so they were able to help Ragland, if not directly. Sakuma still has doubts."

"Does he?"

"Yes. He doesn't trust his family. I don't blame him."

"He would object to us killing them off?"

"He doesn't care. He does seem to have a soft spot for his mother, though. We'll see what happens. The Hunters are being lured into position right now. We found four of them. We'll keep the largest one alive for the transport for distraction. I do wonder which team will survive," Hermanubis grinned wickedly.

"Better than watching a soap opera?" she giggled.

"Soap operas are the equivalent to fake reality television. You think something good is going to happen, but it just turns to shit in the end. Why bother with it? Ah! Good! The Japanese finally decided to show up. Let's get the Hunters out of hiding. I think one of them is a jumper. And they brought a transport ship! Impressive!"

"We could use one of those," Sigyn mused.

"That we could. While they are distracted here, a scout will take out the Captain on board. Then we can pick off the rest! I see the woman on their helicopter now. Hmm. Sigyn, do you notice anything about her? Something seems very off."

"What?" she frowned. She studied the close up image in the camera and paused. "She looks like Mother! But, of a different origin! Why?!"

"I think we may have answers, if we catch her," Hermanubis growled. The hive mind was now alerted to catch the female. Even Agatha was clearly disturbed and gave a thought that her lesser antivirus may have begun to breed out. Alex was livid.

"She's not as beautiful as Mother is," Sigyn muttered.

"No. But, I don't like what I'm witnessing. I'm catching her, myself. We need to get that helicopter to lower a bit more. I'll be back swiftly."

"Be careful," she nodded. He kissed her and jumped out the window. Now he smirked and took out a compact mirror to flash at the helicopter in the sky. He was purposely blinding the woman to irritate her and catch her attention. It was easy to dodge the bullets she sprayed after him. When the helicopter was ordered to chase and follow, he ducked behind a ventilation shaft. When it moved past him, he jumped out, used his whip claw, and hauled himself onto the contraption. At his feral grin, the odd woman dropped her jaw with disbelief.

" _Hello. You are my prisoner. Come with me now or die,_ " he said in flawless Japanese.

" _Fuck you!_ " she scowled. He plastered her down with his viral tissue and took out the pilot. She had no chance up close. Unlike Agatha that excelled in close range and long range attacks, this one was only good at long range. He could swear that she resembled his mother with distinct Japanese features of slanted eyes, black hair and tanned skin. Her body was smaller, though, and far more slender.  _She resembled Lynette._  Agatha was seething through the hive link, but now she wondered. _Did they send her deliberately? Or was this a clone?_

Hermanubis vowed to find out. Now that the woman was subdued, he found it odd that she wasn't giving out any form of pain to him. He'd get that answer later. He did think it was strange that she had no other viral traits.  _Mother could have used her hair to counter with. This one seemed far too human._ It annoyed him. At a thought that Agatha gave him, he moved quickly and knocked the woman out. She had given him the thought that the woman could be tracked much like Agatha was when she first started.  _If something was implanted, they could take no chances on being spied on._

On gleaning from the hive mind that the transport ship was in their control, he gave a small nod. The woman was taken up after the helicopter was landed and taken to the hospital room to be set as a wall hanging for now.

"She's ugly," Sigyn muttered at the unconscious woman.

"I know. I have two parties to kill off. Or have them kill each other off. Now that we have a transport ship and another helicopter, we don't need the humans. We can keep the survivors as stud males, maybe. We'll see what happens," Hermanubis smirked. His sister beamed at him and got squeezed. He was soon out the window again, and she was studying the plastered woman against the wall. Agatha wanted to slaughter her. It was an instinctive act to preserve herself, and Sigyn was fighting the urge to help her with everything she had.

"Be glad that Mother wants to kill you personally. If there are any others like you, they will all die," Sigyn growled. Several of her drones pulled her away at Hermanubis's urging. Agatha would be rather pissed, if she couldn't take out the woman to avenge herself.

She was led back to the camera screens to watch four nasty Hunters simply demolish all of the soldiers. The drones in the American group started to call slanderous, racial remarks to the Japanese soldiers to trigger a small war. Their shouts of outrage gave themselves away to the Hunters. Nothing survived when it came to humans. The tranquilizers were found, and Hermanubis was able to jump onto the back of the largest Hunter to inject them in. The other drones were quick to tear the other Hunters to pieces. Once the massive Hunter was secure, the transport ship was clear to dock and pick up the new cargo.

More drugs were used to keep the Hunter down. Steel cords were bound over the hulking beast to restrain it. Right when that job was done, Hermanubis noted the cryo tube. Another one had appeared next to it. He grinned wickedly when Alex came out. It took about thirty minutes to tie down the Hunter, but he wasn't going to complain. Agatha couldn't appear, so Alex had to go for her. It was safer this way.

"I have three hours before your mother gives birth. I want to see the bitch," Alex growled. Hermanubis bowed respectfully and led him to the hospital. The viral tissues were removed for him to get a good look at the woman.

"Can I kill her?!" Sigyn growled.

"Now, now," her brother grinned. "Let our King and Emperor assess her."

"Hmm..." Alex thought and scratched the woman's arm open to get some blood. When he tried to glean memories, he was now alarmed.  _There were no memories. It was as though the mind was always kept blank._  It made no sense to him. "She has no memories."

"Impossible!" Hermanubis said with disbelief.

"I'm serious. It's as though her mind is constantly wiped clean. Or...it was just wiped clean when she was caught," he said, as he thought aloud. The woman suddenly groaned and looked up at him with dark brown eyes. He felt disgusted.  _This woman had Agatha's face, but none of her true beauty._ "I'm Project Zeus. What the fuck are you?"

"Hopefully she understands English," Hermanubis muttered.

"I do...understand. I am...Project Hera..." she whispered.

"A fucking lie! Project Hera is my mate and safely hidden away! You are a byproduct from her! A weaker portion from her! What. The. Fuck. Are. You?" Alex hissed.

"One of many..." she trembled. She didn't know she was a weaker form. It was only proven by how Alex wasn't even affected by her. The single, pure cell of Agatha completely enhanced him to a whole new level.

"How many?" Alex asked with a glimmer of rage.

"Twenty of us now."

"You have no memories."

"A main computer directs us. Everything I learn, it holds and sends out to the others."

"You are the weakest?"

"None are weak. We all have our own strengths."

"My King and Emperor, if what this outrage has said is true, then they now know of us. What do we do?" Hermanubis asked.

"Set an example," Alex grinned wickedly. His hammer arms came out, and he crushed in the woman's head to kill her off. He felt his body evolve slightly to have a longer range attack if he used his whip arm. Now he knew it was crucial to kill them all.  _I'll gain their skills._

"Twenty of those whores?!" Sigyn seethed.

"Yes. We continue as planned. Send this corpse to Ragland for study. It's why the other cryo tube is there. Have the Hunter in a suspended mode of sleep with the drugs. The moment your Mother gives birth, I wanted her to get pregnant with breeders. When those are birthed, I'll board the transport ship to go to Japan. We need to track down nineteen of these bitches. Send the word to any in Japan right now. This needs to be done."

"Yes, my King and Emperor," Hermanubis nodded.

"And you bet your ass you're coming with," Alex grinned. The breeder male grinned a bit more and nodded. He loved to hunt. He proved it every day.


	52. Chapter 52

Agatha couldn't even see the abomination until the eggs were out. Alex forbade it. She already had an idea of how to test and see if any of her viral tissue was truly in the corpse.

"What do you have in mind?" Robert asked. Robin was listening in to report to Alex.

"The tentacles of my hair are like blood hounds. I found it out with the smaller piece of me. If that thing just has my face and form, I'll know. If it's another part of me, I may be able to extract what part of me is trapped away. It's something I know I can do. Instinctive. I'm starting to wonder if they still have the true piece of me locked up and just using various parts of it to enhance clones. The lesser memories are hinting something like that to me now," Agatha blinked at what she went over.

"You think so?" Robert thought.

"I'm starting to believe it. When the lesser part of me couldn't reproduce from being too small, they tried to use small parts of it in various ways. When it got less and less, they stopped. In the end, it just became something for antiviral uses. The parts that came from it were too weak and died off. They had to keep what they had alive in order to continue getting funding."

"All that for money," he muttered. When Robin opened the door, he turned to find out what it was. Agatha looked over now with a small smile.

"My Liege is returning," the drone said. "My Empress, do you need anything?"

"A cooked steak would be appreciated," she nodded. "Thank you."

It was delivered quickly and demolished just as quickly. When Robin suddenly blocked the door, Robert was there to find out why. When he saw it was Bruce, he gave the nod to show it was fine. He waved the man in to follow and gestured for him to sit in a chair.

"My Liege is on his way back," Robin said. "He is now frozen."

"Thank you. You're, ah, Bruce?" Agatha smiled.

"Yes. Um...when do you plan for me to help?" he asked.

"After this next birth of eggs, an egg will be made for you. You'll be called on when it's ready for you to bond with it. Have you heard of what was found on the island?" she asked now.

"Bits and pieces," he said. Now he was informed, and even he was appalled. "I won't be allowed to join, will I? I'll be stuck here."

"If you have an egg that wants to bond with you, there will be no way you can leave," Robert frowned. "However, you may be able to help with camera feeds."

"You think so?" Bruce grinned. "It would be nice to do somethin' worth my time."

"Come with me to my room. You may be able to help me set up something for Alex and the kids to use. If you're as good in reconnaissance as you say, we may be able to set up something. Alex can't hear what my kids say. He needs a form of communication with them."

"I get ya," Bruce smirked. "Ear buds tend to work best."

"Osiris can help us get what we need. We'll brainstorm," Robert chuckled. They walked back to his room where Apollo was waiting to help them. Now that Agatha was alone, she made a deep sigh and ran a hand over her swelling belly. She was very worried over Alex leaving her for so long.  _He was going to make sure that Cronus was gone with Rhea as a precaution. The last thing he wanted was for me to instinctively take another King as my mate with him gone. We had discussed it at length. We simply can't take the chance of it happening._

"Mother?" Dionysus asked when Robin let him in. "Everything will be fine."

"I don't know that," she trembled. He walked in to sit with her and hug her.

"We won't let Father be with you while my King and Emperor is away," he whispered. "We'll have the young Queens keep you company. There will be no need to worry."

"I do know that," she nodded. "What do you think of the thing being brought back?"

"I want to obliterate," Dionysus growled. "To know that parts of you are being desecrated like that...it's disgusting! We'll find out what it's all about. You can trust me in that. We all want answers. We'll get them."

"We will," she sighed and leaned into him. He gave a soft smile and paused.  _She was treating me like my King and Emperor._ His eyes widened, and he carefully pulled away.

"Athena needs me. I need to see her," he said softly. She nodded with understanding. As he thought to the hive mind at his retreat, the realization struck them all. S _he was thinking that their King and Emperor was going to leave her for too long. Her body was instinctively testing any that could replace him. This included bonded breeder males._ In Rhea's room, Cronus was agitated. As a King, he knew that he should be the one to replace Alex if something went wrong.

"Cronus..." Rhea winced. "You need to be with me."

"Rhea," he frowned with his deep tone. "I know I am bonded to you. I will leave with you, too. But, do not think for an instant that I would be forced to return. It would be too hardwired in me. An Empress like her would need a proper King to replace the Emperor if something happened. I know that my Emperor is stronger than me. Far stronger. But, I am the only King right now. Who's to say that she would create a King for herself? Your father could even become a prime candidate, too. Any of the breeder males would be at risk."

"Cronus, you are made for me!" Rhea hissed. "You are my mate!"

"And would you have our Empress be without a mate?" he growled.

"I have your eggs in me now," she said. "My first breeders were birthed. Would you rather have Carlos be the one to constantly have me?"

"You would dare..." he snarled and cringed. The thought of a human stud constantly having her made him fume.  _She was right. I can't leave her. At least, not alone with the stud male._ A deep sigh escaped him, and he let her hug him tight. He hugged her just as tight.

"We'll leave right after these eggs are birthed," she whispered.

"Fine," he nodded. He listened to various thoughts in the hive mind.  _It was agreed to only have drones tend to Agatha until Alex got back from the cryo tube. After what was witnessed with Dionysus, it was the safest thing to do._ Even Agatha was forced to agree. The time passed slowly for the wait on the cryo tube. The moment it appeared, Alex was livid at what he learned through his drones.

"I think a meeting with every viral male is needed," he muttered. He sent the mental notice and moved straight into Agatha's room. The drones left to leave them alone. "Hera. It's not your fault. You had no control, right?"

"Zeus..." she shivered hard and looked quite scared. That gave him pause. He knew she had no plans on being with one of her sons.  _Or any others._  "I really wish...that you didn't have to leave. That none of this had to happen..."

"Hera," he smiled softly and was soon at her side to let her snuggle into him. He rocked her with relief that she still clung to him.  _No one could ever replace me._  "I'm not leaving until your next breeders are birthed. I'll make sure that only females can be with you to keep you company until my return. You know I have to stop this threat personally. I evolved when I killed that abomination of you. As of now, the other things are being tracked. There are more drones in Japan than we know."

"I know there is," she nodded. "It's just...knowing you will be away from me..."

"I'm having a nice talk with the others now."

"Don't kill anyone..."

"You have my promise. Only if they touch you will that happen."

"I don't want anyone killed."

"It will happen if any of them fuck you while I'm gone."

"I..." she frowned hard and pressed her face into his chest.

"Don't think about it right now. Like I said, I'm not going to leave until your next breeders are birthed. And don't forget, Hera. I have a part of myself here, too. I'll swap it out. If something happens to me, that piece will be used. The drones should still be able to inform me of what happened. I'll still remember everything."

"And then that piece of you will go back to Japan to claim vengeance on whatever killed you," she winced. He gazed down at her and sighed.

"You're supposed to be a bitch. Not a wise ass," he grinned. She gave a small smile and took in a deep breath, as she shook her head.

"I'll feel better when those bitches are dead," she growled.

"There you are," he smiled and kissed her passionately. "Don't worry, Hera. The one I killed seemed quite surprised that she wasn't the true project. I'll find the computer that hordes the memories and have it sent here. We'll go through it piece by fucking piece to find out what happened. If there is a main part of you, I'll see if I can talk to it. The cell you had me consume of you completely evolved me. It should be easy to confront that part."

"I can only hope," she nodded. "And don't worry about Osiris trying to lay claim to me. Isis has him on a leash. Literally."

"I don't need to know that!" Alex groaned to get her laughing.

"Okay. Go talk to my sons and come back to me," she smiled.

"All right," he smiled back. They nuzzled and kissed each other again. Now that he was present, the need to test other males was gone. He was sure that the instinct would come back after a day or if she got worried.  _I'll have to keep her constantly preoccupied while I'm gone._  When he walked out of the room, Robin was quick to barricade the door. Nick and Aden were there within seconds. Kim and Eddie were next to appear. Her elite guard was going to tend to her needs. No others would be permitted.

He walked into a conference room and glared at all of the breeder males there. Hermes, Apollo, Dionysus, and Geb actually looked nervous. There were quite a few others that hadn't left yet. Cronus had his arms crossed from where he was near the back of the room. Alex's glare hit his gaze before sweeping to the others.

"We figured this was going to happen," Apollo nodded.

"Of course," Alex said dryly. "Dionysus. It was wise of you to leave when you did. Thanks. But, this warning goes to all of you. If any of you touch your mother while I'm gone, you're fucking dead. I don't care who you are. I don't care how much I appreciate you. I. Don't. Care. Your mother is  _my_  mate! My Queen! My Empress! If it wasn't for me, none of you would fucking be here! If any of you need to talk to her, you will use the hive link. Do not, under any circumstances, approach her while I'm gone. Even your father is going to be kept back. I'm sure you all know this."

"We do," Hermes nodded.

"If I come back and she's pregnant, I will force her to abort the eggs," he growled. This had all of the males stiffen at once. "If there are eggs birthed, I will destroy them. If there are other drones or breeders, I will kill them off. Only I am allowed to fuck her. Now, if your father is able to be with her, I might be lenient with the breeders made. I still won't let him touch her. But, if other breeders are made by other stud males, I will destroy them and kill the studs."

"Understood," Cronus agreed. He would do the exact same.

"Cronus, your ass is going on a submarine after Rhea births her next set of drones. She has to go with you. I'm sure you know. And, if you come back while I'm still gone, my drones will tell me. I'll kill you if you do," Alex warned. "You know I can kick your ass. Don't force me to do it. As much as I would enjoy it, Rhea wouldn't like it."

"I already had this discussion with her," Cronus muttered.

"Then you understand what I'm saying," Alex muttered back. "Anyways, I'm going back to your mother. Only disturb me if it's important. Let a drone do it. I don't fucking care. The Hunter should stay drugged up. Hopefully it won't die, but I doubt it will. Just keep it stable. We can only have it wake up when we're ready for it."

"Hermanubis is taking control of that," Apollo smiled. "He wants to be the one to tend to it at all times. If anything happens to it, you will be the first to know."

"Good," Alex said. Then he turned and moved swiftly back to his mate. Only after he left, the other breeder males looked at each other nervously.

"Have we detected where the other things were?" Apollo asked.

"Not yet," Hermes said grimly. "The drones are scouring everywhere."

"The sooner we find them, the faster our King and Emperor can return. I don't want Mother to start asking for me," Dionysus frowned. "I like having my ass attached."

"Don't we all?" Hermes sighed. "I'd better get back to Dana."

"I'll stay with Rhea. I would suggest that only our females keep our Empress company," Cronus said. "I'll be preparing for my transfer to the Australian base."

"You do that," Apollo nodded.

"I do want to see what that impostor looks like. At least what's left of it," Cronus said.

"I think that goes for all of us," Hermes said. "Dana...she understands. I'll go back to her until we are ready to help Mother."

They all nodded and dispersed. It wouldn't be until an hour later that Agatha was egg free and ready to confront what Alex killed. Ragland was right next to her to evaluate her.

"It's kept over here," the doctor said, as he led them into the cellular chamber. The corpse was laying down in a small half-tube to keep from decomposing. Agatha studied the smaller body structure and what the face used to look like. She gave out an instinctive snarl, and her hair shifted into the lethal tendrils they were. Alex smirked and watched her tear the corpse apart. It was when she removed the vital organs that the heart was brought out.

"Mine!" she seethed and sank her teeth into it. That surprised them all.  _It was instinctive for her to claim the heart of her rival._

"Make a note. We save the hearts," Alex muttered out. "If we can save the corpses, we'll do that, too."

"Done," Cronus nodded. Osiris would see to it. Only after the heart was eaten did Agatha finally calm down. She stood up tall and glared at the dismembered corpse.

"Was there any part of you there?" Alex asked her.

"No. If there was, it's not enough for me to find. It was mainly just the structure of the body done. It...infuriated me. I had to claim the heart."

"Maybe it's the hearts that have the piece of you," Alex suggested. That had her blinking.  _He may have a point._ She didn't feel any stronger, but it was just the fact that she had to consume it by eating it. She had to prove that she was the better. When Robert was told to be with her, Alex went over the ideas for communication with the breeders in the field. He was quite pleased with the results. Now, all they had to do was test them. That wasn't going to happen until after the new breeder eggs were developed.


	53. Chapter 53

Bruce was intrigued at how he had to bond with the breeder egg in her. It was when they were birthed that he saw the developing female looked quite pretty. She wasn't beautiful, but with dark brown hair and pale skin, she looked rather slender. He was surprised. But the biggest confusion happened at an egg that was birthed next. It even shocked Ragland.

"There's no embryo in this one!" the doctor gaped.

"So we notice!" Alex growled. "What does it mean?!"

"I'm not sure. It's just...clear substance for an embryo," he frowned.

"Alex...I think I may have an idea..." Agatha smiled.

"Hmm?" Alex gazed at her.

"I think...it's for you," she trembled. "If something happened to you. You left a piece of yourself here, right? It may be to help you come back."

"Ahh!" Ragland beamed with the insight. "She made you something for your viral tissue to work with and grow with! It didn't happen before, though, right?"

"Not until after I ate that heart," she nodded. "I think that's the purpose of the rival hearts I eat. I am able to make one fail-safe egg. So, if I eat another one..."

"It gives us a chance to be properly reborn," Alex mused. "Yes. We'll save the hearts from the other ones. With luck, this egg won't need to be used. We'll keep it here. Cronus already left with Rhea? I'm sure they left."

"They left an hour ago," Robert nodded. "Carlos had to go with them, of course."

"Good. One less thing for me to worry about. As much as I want to use the radios we've made, we'll use them for emergencies. Or just outside the base. When we get into the base, it's safer to stick to hive minds. We'll have two drones here to talk to each other in rapid fire speak. Several, if needed. They can be in this room with Agatha. If we need ideas, she can help us that way through them. I was thinking of how to get to Japan quickly."

"What did you have in mind?" Agatha asked.

"A jet. Osiris can bring one to me. I'll eject myself out and over the countryside where Hephaestus will wait for me. I have a drone with him to tell him where I'll be landing a parachute. Actually, fuck it. I'll just jump from the jet and let it explode. I've leapt from buildings before without a hitch. So, anyone that wants to help me needs to leave now. I need to talk to Sakuma. It's important," Alex said, and he rose up to kiss Agatha's forehead before leaving. "And, Commander, don't fuck her while I'm gone. She couldn't give birth to her eggs when I wasn't there. We don't want that to happen again. None of us want her to be in pain."

"That's right. I'll hang out with my kids," Robert nodded.

"Good," Alex nodded back. "Anyone else that isn't a drone needs to leave this room now. Or else I'll go on a killing spree."

"I'll work in my lab," Ragland smiled and walked out. Bruce was quick to leave the room. His breeder female would likely be brought to him to keep him out of Agatha's room. She would likely find him after she hatched, too. Robert was now checking on Hermes. The urge to be with Agatha would set in, and they all agreed to leave her egg free.

Sekhmet and Geb had already left to go to Japan to get a head start on infiltration. They did say goodbye to Steve before leaving. They would make sure to always contact him to see how he was doing. As much as they knew he was helping to make more Queens, they would always see him as their pet human. Amunet thought the whole thing was cute, and she would always joke behind Steve's back that she was playing as a pet-sitter.

While preparations were being made in Japan to ready things for Alex, the nineteen abominations left were now being tracked down. The Hunter was also being shipped off to an abandoned port. Hermanubis and Sigyn were taking full responsibility for it to have it ready to wake up at the right time. Osiris had already located the base entrance location. His drones were infiltrating it now and keeping tabs on any abominating versions they found.

Alex was able to mildly keep tabs on what various drones conversed to each other about, as he walked to Sakuma's room. While he was trying to glean what he could about the situation, one of Hephaestus's drones was stationed as a servant within Sakuma's family home. And it learned something vital. The information was relayed, and Alex knew it was going to be given over.

When he knocked on the door, Ran opened the door for him and gasped at the sight of him.

"Ran, I need to speak with your father," Alex said lightly. She gave a small nod and fetched him. She was instinctively obeying his wishes. She knew he was dangerous if she refused. Sakuma was quick to appear, and Amaterasu was able to take over on comforting their daughter. With the door closed behind him, he was ready to talk.

"I understand you are going to Japan," Sakuma nodded.

"Yes. Geb and Sekhmet have left to take over your brother and claim his life. You're sure you don't care?" Alex grinned.

"Fuck him. He's already dead to me," Sakuma shrugged. Alex barked out laughter and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's Father I'm worried about."

"No need. The drones gave him the idea to ensure that there are no flaws in his creations. Apparently, he was the one that went ahead and used your sister's DNA without permission. When he learned how easy it was for me to kill one off, he's now trying to improve them. All the more for me. I'll evolve even faster," Alex grinned. "However, your mother is in the hospital. When I killed off a creation, he got pissed and backhanded her. It was so brutal that it snapped her head back. He nearly killed her."

"What...?!" Sakuma gaped.

"All she was doing was serving him something to drink. She became his target. When he saw what he did, he panicked. My drone was acting as one of his housekeepers and saw the whole thing. So, she's in a critical condition in a hospital. How do you feel about this?"

"Can you save her?"

"I'm not sure. I'm sure that Agatha's blood could do something, but she would need to be brought here. She could become one to make Queens. Your father was very efficient at keeping her youthful. If you don't mind her living here to help with Queens, I can see about something being done. Another like Hermes could be made for her. What do you think?"

"I want her safe. Even if she's here to help make Queens...I don't care. I want her away from my Father!" Sakuma growled.

"I'll have a spare drone take over the doctor in charge of her. She'll be transported to a submarine and held there until I'm ready to leave. We have a few subs now. I'll have a shot of Agatha's blood ready for her, but I won't give it over until my mission is done. We'll just keep her stable. As it is, she's unconscious. It's as though her mind is suspended from the shock its going through. Ragland may be able to help her, if the shot isn't enough."

"Thank you," he nodded.

"I'll be going over by jet. The faster I get there, the better. I'd go the same way back, but it's risky. I don't want a jet to land in Japan. It would raise up some questions. The jet will explode in the air over the ocean after I jump from it. As to me reaching the jet, I'm going to the island first. I'll swap places with a drone flying it. The fastest submarine we have will get me back here. Are there any other family members that you give a shit about?"

"I have three brothers. Out of them all, there's only one that I would feel bad for. He's the one just under my oldest brother. His name is Toshimichi. I saw him as my best friend when Hikari was gone. If you could spare him and my Mother, then I don't care about the rest."

"Not even your father?"

"My Father almost killed my Mother. Yes, he regretted it. But, he still did it. He always got violent when he didn't get his way. I'd have him taken over. Let another have my Mother's figure. I'd rather let that happen," Sakuma nodded.

"Hmm. I think I know what Demeter and Hephaestus are going to do," Alex grinned. "Demeter can gain your Mother's face, but not her form. You want her to live, so that's fine. We can make clones of her. Hephaestus will take over your father. We'll make clones of Toshimichi. We'll take over your other two brothers. I know that human blood consumption can be a temporary form of DNA. Maybe Demeter can reach your father first and set a trap."

"Whatever you want to do. I don't care about him," Sakuma nodded. Alex nodded back and let him go back into his room. Alex now went to talk to Agatha to tell her of his new plans. She was all for what he wanted to do. Then a better plan came to mind.

"Zeus, I have an idea. Demeter thinks it may work. So does Hephaestus," she grinned.

"Do tell," he muttered and reclined in the bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath for control. The need to mate her was there, but he wanted to help calm her before he had to leave. He had to fight the instinctive urge.

"Demeter will take a sample of Sakuma's mother's blood," she nuzzled him. "She'll distract his father for Hephaestus to take in the killing blow after grabbing several vials of blood. Numbing agents in the tea should help with that."

"It would," he chuckled and found himself kissing her. When he tried to pull away, she held him close to her. As much as he liked it, he had to try and hold back. "Hera..."

"Shut up. I'm not done talking. I also think that one of his brothers should suggest that a training ground for those whores to be set up. One room for each one to help make them think they are training in their specialization. It would give you an idea of what to expect after the man is taken over," she grinned wickedly. Then her hands trailed down into his pants. He hissed with shock. He wasn't expecting that move from her. She ignored his glares easily with a small grin. She knew he couldn't pull away if he tried. As she caressed what she found, she whispered, "When you show up, they can think that they are truly challenged. That whoever can try to kill you will be the best of the best. Nineteen whores. Nineteen rooms. At the end of the line is the part of me as the prize..."

"Hera! You...fucking bitch..." he panted at the probing touches. "I have to leave!"

"Fuck that," she growled and nipped his chin. "Think of the next six or seven hours here as another way for Japan to get ready for you. If we want those whores to think that they have to train against you, the rooms will need to be set up. You want a challenge, right? This will help. No need to hunt them down. They already know you are coming after them. They won't know that you already found them. They'll be sitting ducks for the slaughter in each chamber. They can try to kill you. I know they'll all fuck up. You can evolve quickly this way. The father will be taken over. The mother will be secured. I would say to kidnap the one brother that Sakuma wants to keep alive and bring him here with his mother. We can tell him that it's an escort to a facility that can heal her. He would believe that. As for the Hunter, it will be in a set position for distraction. But, I think instead of putting it in the city, it should go at the entrance of the base to distract the guards in front of it..."

"Bitch!" Alex seethed. Then he shouted at the tug she gave him.

"I don't hear you complaining," she grinned wickedly. He glared at her, but found himself grinning back. He was quick to seed her to let her plan kick start into action.


	54. Chapter 54

As much as Alex hated how she kept him there, her plan was brilliant. Now that he was going to be preoccupied for the next six hours, they had to work swiftly. It was daylight in Japan right now. Osiris was readying a jet to go to the quarantined island to wait for Alex. Demeter and Hephaestus were on their way to the hospital that Sakuma's mother was being held in.

Through the hive link, they agreed not to take over any of the doctors. They weren't needed right now. The best thing to do was to camouflage their way through the hospital with mild duplications from blood. Scout drones went in first and located the unconscious woman. After she was located, a scout drone knocked out one of the hospital staff for a sample of blood. Now with an hour of human duplication, it moved swiftly. Another hospital staff member was quickly subdued for the same thing to happen.

The camera feeds were watched carefully as to when to move her and when to stay put. Only when she was safely removed from the hospital did Demeter take her own sample of the woman's blood to take her place. She took a bit more than the usual to keep the ruse up for the next several hours. That was needed. She was carefully moved back into the hospital bed the mother was in, and the scout drones were able to take her back to her room. The true mother was now secured swiftly and taken to a waiting submarine that was hiding offshore.

The Sakuma drone was notified that the trap was set. Hephaestus was waiting in the hospital room in a camouflaged state. Hades and Hathor were waiting nearby, but they were securing the place that Alex was going to be staying. They were also keeping tabs on the base entrance by monitoring and studying the security guard shifts. Sekhmet and Geb had just arrived on the Japanese shores and moved swiftly to where the trap was waiting. They needed to ensure that the brother they needed to take over would show up.

The Sakuma drone showed up at the hospital first. It showed complete concern and, at first, it was denied access to see the mother. With a fit of rage, it shouted in Japanese, " _This is my Mother! I demand to see her now! Since when does a hospital not allow family to see family?! This is an outrage and a demonstration of malpractice!_ "

" _We are so sorry,_ " a nurse said quickly. " _Your mother was a victim to an attack. She is resting and stable. Your...um...father did not wish her to be distressed._ "

" _I don't care about what my Father thinks!_ " the drone snapped. " _I want to see my Mother._ "

" _Follow me. I can give you limited access. Possibly an hour, at the most. It is the least I can do. Since she is recovering, and it is visitation hours, I can do this. You just cannot stay for as long as you wish,_ " a lead doctor said. He knew how powerful this family was.

" _Thank you. You don't even have to say that I was here. I just want to see her,_ " the drone frowned. " _I just want to ensure that she is fine._ "

" _I understand,_ " the doctor nodded.

" _Can you tell me what happened to her? Please?_ " the drone asked.

" _Well..._ " the doctor hesitated. At the concerned look, he relented. "s _he has a skull fracture that is pretty severe. As the nurse said, she is stable, but we don't know if there is any mental trauma. We didn't see any damage to the brain, but what we don't see now may show up later. It's a bit...ah...touch and go right now. We will know more when she wakes up._ "

" _I see..._ " the drone frowned. It would use this information to set a trap. A cloaked scout drone followed them. When they got into the elevator, and the doors closed, the doctor was knocked out. The scout drone took a bit of his blood for the trap, and a little more was collected in a vial in case it lost the form. The doctor would now be taken into the room the other two faculty staff were being hidden in. The scout drone was quick to assume the doctor's form, and various other drones were able to easily take the unconscious human away.

The Sakuma drone was led into the room. Now the trap was fully set. Demeter was sitting upright in the bed and sipping some tea. It was what the mother would have done while recovering. She knew she would have to play unconscious, but that could wait until the others arrived. The Sakuma drone now took out a cellphone and called the next victim.

" _Yasunori! It's Sakuma!_ " the drone hissed out.

" _What do you want? I'm on a date with my man!_ " the brother growled in his light tone.

" _It's Mother! Dad did something to her again, and she's in the hospital! Unconscious!_ " the drone snapped. " _I need you here!_ "

" _You are not serious! Mother was hurt?! Um..._ " Yasunori hesitated.

" _You'll get your dick sucked later! This is Mother! You think I'm fucking with you?!_ " Sakuma was only known to swear if the situation was serious.

" _How do you know that Father did something?_ " he asked.

" _Why in the hell do you think I'm with Mother now?_ " the drone countered.

" _Okay, okay! Um...do you think I can bring Nariaki with me?_ " the brother hoped. At the mental nudge to do it from Sekhmet, the Sakuma drone let out a long sigh. It was how Sakuma would have normally reacted to show he might be swayed.

" _It's supposed to be family only..._ " the answer was given with indecision.

" _Just say he's a cousin!_ " Yasunori insisted.

" _Fine. Just don't tell me about your fucking adventures when you get here!_ " the drone growled. " _Hurry up. I only have an hour window to visit her. I may get kicked out after that._ "

" _Does Tsuneo or Toshimichi know about this?_ " Yasunori asked.

" _Not yet. I was going to call them next._ "

" _Hmm. You call Toshimichi. I'll handle Tsuneo._ "

" _Okay. Remember! We just have one hour! Hurry!_ " the drone urged. When the call was done, the hive link applauded the performance. The phone was accessed again, and Toshimichi was contacted. He was deeply involved in a new book, but, when he saw who was calling, he took it seriously.  _My brother only calls me when something was dire._ They spoke face to face on casual matters.

" _Sakuma! What's going on?_ " Toshimichi asked. He had a rather deep, soothing voice that could calm and ease any situation. It was now going unheeded.

" _It's Mother. I'm at a hospital with her. I only have an hour to visit,_ " the drone said.

" _Father?_ "

" _Yes. He did it. It wasn't verified, but why else would she be here?_ "

" _I want the hospital location. I'll leave now._ "

" _I'll send you directions. Um...the others will be here, too. We can't let Father know we saw Mother. You know how he gets._ "

" _I know. Any word from Hikari?_ "

" _Not since I last talked to her. I...also saw her. When I said I was going out with friends. I left to see her. No one else knows._ "

" _Are you fucking with me?_ " Toshimichi asked now.

" _No. She mentioned that something big was going down. That she was a part of it. I kinda am, too. I...know of a cure that might help Mother. But, we have to move her out of the hospital. Secretly. I know, I'm being cryptic, but Mother's condition is actually worse than we know. Father fractured her skull this time. She may have brain damage._ "

" _Oh no..._ " Toshimichi swallowed. " _This thing that Hikari told you...it could help Mother? It can heal her?_ "

" _It's possible, but it's VERY experimental and just as dangerous. We would have to transport her to the United States. Commander Murlow was working with vaccines, as you know. He may have stumbled onto a cure that may work beyond being an antivirus. In experiments, it showed it regenerated damaged tissues and cells. It could reverse the damage to Mother, but it may do other things, too. We don't know. I can't let the others know that I told you this. We can't let anyone else come with us. I don't know how else to tell you..._ "

" _This is for Mother. Fuck it, I'm in. I'll meet you at the hospital. When do the others plan to appear? It may be safer for me to show up after they do._ "

" _Yasunori wants to bring his boyfriend,_ " the drone said with a roll of its eyes.

" _Yasunori can go fuck himself!_ " Toshimichi snorted with disgust. " _This is family only, but whatever. I don't care what he does, but he should not bring outsiders in to see Mother. Pathetic. He's likely talking to Tsuneo, I bet. They'll be showing up as a small group. Call me when they leave. It's either that, or I just wait in the lobby._ "

" _Wait in the lobby. When I call you, it will be easier. No heavy traffic, and you can take your time to get here. Thanks for understanding._ "

" _That's not my true worry. If you went out to see Hikari, then something bad must have happened. I want to know what happened._ "

" _You come and see Mother. I'll fill you in,_ " the drone promised. The agreement was made, and the call was disconnected.

"This is far too easy," Demeter muttered.

"We are dealing with children. That's why," Hephaestus chuckled. "They don't know a trap when they see one. We also outnumber them. They can't hide from us if they declined."

"It will be interesting playing out as a man," Sekhmet giggled.

"With feminine qualities, so it may not be that different," Geb smiled. They kissed softly, but forced themselves apart. Each mated pair wanted to be together, but it wasn't safe yet. Amaterasu thought to the hive mind from where she was to remind them that Sakuma did want to try and get Tsuneo as part of the group. That made them think on how to go about it.

"Maybe we can hint that something is known. See if we can get him to follow where we take his mother," Demeter mused. "Have our drone as the doctor talking to the two drones that took over the forms of the other humans. Say that they need to prepare her off-site for the experimental drug. When he sees Toshimichi with the group, he'll want to know what's going on. He would feel the need to follow."

"Very true," Hephaestus nodded. The hive link reported that Yasunori was approaching the hospital, and everyone got into position. Demeter lay back down in her disguise to feign sleep. The others in the room cloaked to hide or leave to set the next part of the trap. The Sakuma drone was now pacing the room with intense thought to show a form of distress. Tsuneo was the first to appear. His black hair was lightly tinged with gray, but it was a rather professional look to his striking features. He wasn't very filled out in the chest, but the suit he wore hid that fact. Narrowed, dark brown eyes studied the room grimly, as he thought with a rather intense expression. He was tall and lanky, but all of Sakuma's family held that trait.

" _Tsuneo! Where's Yasunori?_ " the drone asked.

" _He decided to stop the elevator. He's a fucking disrespectful pervert!_ " he growled. " _No matter. What is Mother's condition? Do we know?_ "

" _It's bad. Head fracture and possible mental trauma. She's stable, but that's all they know. Toshimichi will be here soon,_ " the drone muttered. At the glance Yasunori got with his boyfriend, they both gave small blushes. " _You're one ungrateful bastard!_ "

" _We just made out, okay?!_ " Yasunori scoffed. His black hair was tinted with blonde tips and spiked up slightly. He was slender in the silk suit of dark blue he wore. His face had a touch of a feminine look from his mother's features, but he was as tall and lanky as the rest. His eyes were a bit more golden brown than dark, and his skin was paler than the darker tones of his brothers. The man with him was a bit more muscular in form, and he sported a black tank top with velvet blue pants. He wore his hair in the same style, but it was more black than brown. His eyes were just as black as his hair.

" _Is Toshimichi here yet?_ " Tsuneo asked.

" _He was on his way. Where he is driving in from, I think the traffic is rather bad. He's trying to get here quickly,_ " the drone explained. Tsuneo nodded and walked back out into the hallway. It was here that the drones that held the face and form of the doctor and two associates were. They were lightly discussing a possible experimental cure, but they stopped talking when Tsuneo appeared. They lightly coughed and walked away. One sheet of paper purposely fell from a notebook with the plans to move the mother off-site.

" _What's this?_ " Tsuneo blinked. He waited for the drones to leave, and he picked up the sheet. At what he read, his eyes widened.  _A new cure?! It was obviously something from Father. A location to where Mother was going to be at is marked on a map. It was listed as top secret, too. And they wanted to test this on Mother? I don't like it. I have to stop them. Right now, though, it's too out in the open and broad daylight. I would have to meet them there and show up._ He pocketed the directions and walked back into the room.

" _Tsuneo?_ " the Sakuma drone asked.

" _I have to go. Call me if anything happens with her,_ " he said.

" _Where are you going?_ " the drone asked.

" _Possible business venture. I'll fill you in later,_ " he responded. The drone nodded and returned its attention to the disguised Demeter. Tsuneo walked out and called for a cab. A drone was already in place to transport him. Now with him gone, the Sakuma drone looked over at Yasunori and his boyfriend. Sekhmet and Geb were in position right behind them.

" _It's a shame,_ " the drone sighed. " _Such a shame that you were not into women. We could have let you live, if you did. But, well, you are of no use to us this way. Sakuma does not care for you. Thanks for showing up. It will help us continue with our plans._ "

" _What?_ " Yasunori blinked. Then he saw his supposed mother sit up in the hospital bed and revert into a beautiful, blond-haired woman with striking pale blue eyes. She smiled softly and nodded to the stunned men before her.

" _The two of you are now going to serve us in another way,_ " she whispered. " _I am Demeter. I hope you understand. No hard feelings._ "

" _Yasunori?!_ " Nariaki winced. The Sakuma drone reverted into Demeter's scout drone. The two men paled even more. _This was a trap. The whole thing was a trap._  Yasunori knew his father despised him for the path he chose in love.  _That it held no honor to the family._  Despite everything thrown at him, he followed his heart. He succeeded in doing what he wanted. The only thing he could think of was that he was going to die happy. He just didn't realize how soon it was going to happen. He honestly thought that this was something his father planned out to get him fully out of the way.

" _I've always loved you, Nariaki. I just...wanted to confess that..._ " Yasunori swallowed. He knew he was going to die, and he would show no fear. If there was one thing he gained from his father, it was the ability to be fearless when the end was right in front of him. He won't back down. Even when he and his partner were forcefully shoved to their knees for blood to be removed, his heart was pounding. He didn't even scream when they both were finally taken over. Now with the new memories being shared with one of Alex's drones from a small amount of blood, they knew the next step.

"It's time to bring Tsuneo and Toshimichi into the fold. Let's not delay that any longer," Geb said lightly. "Toshimichi is in the lobby. Let's get him here."

"Call him," Demeter said to the Sakuma drone. "Geb, you and Sekhmet should leave. Track down where the father, Hedeyasu, is currently residing. Yasunori was known to be a pest for money. We don't want to give up that façade."

"Quite true!" Geb grinned. He kissed his mate passionately before reforming into his new body. They both left soon after. When they were gone, the Sakuma drone contacted Toshimichi and had him come up.

" _I saw them leave,_ " he growled, as he walked in. " _They wouldn't stop touching each other! Even a decent husband and wife would stand at a respectful distance!_ "

" _Well, Yasunori admitted to being in love with Nariaki. I think that's why,_ " the drone shrugged. He saw the human cringe silently, but then he shook off the feeling.

" _Whatever. Anyways, what is going to happen with Mother?_ " he asked.

" _The doctor needs to transport her. It needs to be done off of the hospital grounds, since it is an experimental and non-listed drug. It could be a liability. I can convince him to let us watch for security. Give me a minute,_ " the drone said. It walked out the door, and a conversation was heard. Of course, the usual argument for safety ensued. At the final relenting being done, the drones walked in to start preparing Demeter for travel.

" _We are leaving now? Should we wait until night?_ " Toshimichi asked.

" _If we wait, we risk being suspicious. If we do this now, during the day, it would be easier. They always say that it is safer to be in public rather than in seclusion,_ " the doctor drone explained. Toshimichi blinked at this, but the Sakuma drone winked. That had him nod. Various files were already changed in the system that the mother was fully recovered and released. When they approached the ambulance, it was an unregistered one from another hospital. The license plate numbers were changed out to that of a handicapped car, but done in a hospital frame. Many would not even pay attention to such details. It was tested and easily noted. They drove off to the port.

In the distance at the port, Tsuneo was waiting behind a few fishing crates. When he saw the ambulance with his mother getting unloaded, he paused. He saw his two brothers helping to assist the hospital workers. He felt outraged. _They knew of this?! And they didn't tell me?!_ Now he knew he had to follow them to get his answers. He was led to a secured part of the docks. Quite a few drones had already taken over much of the port. He was left undiscovered, as they moved about normally.

When they got to a submarine, he gaped. _There was a United States submarine here?! This was big._  He recognized the insignias and design structure.  _Why wasn't it stopped?_  As he sat there in silence, he suddenly paused in shock. A drone in the form of a security guard had easily snuck up behind him and pressed a gun to his back.

" _What are you doing here?! This is a classified restricted area!_ " the drone snapped.

" _My Mother is being moved onto that submarine!_ " Tsuneo growled.

" _Your mother? Hah! Sure. And my dog is being awarded the best actor!_ " the drone sneered. " _You have seen too much!_ "

" _And what do you plan to do about it?_ " he asked. He didn't expect the blow to the back of his skull to knock him out. Now the drone chuckled, and others came to help restrain him and carry him into the submarine. He was carefully hidden in a back storeroom for transport. Demeter was expertly swapped out for the true mother's unconscious body. She needed to stay in Japan. She had two extra vials of the woman's blood to help her until a clone could be made.

The submarine was now boarded and underway. A fresh stock of various foods were also loaded for transport. The passengers were soon underwater without any further delays. Now, as Toshimichi regarded the Sakuma drone with intense curiosity, he would get his answers. But, it would be in a way unlike anything he ever experienced before.


	55. Chapter 55

As the Sakuma drone regarded the human, it appeared hesitant to talk. At a glance around the crew of drones, they all appeared to be American. With a sigh, the drone said, " _You do know how to speak English, right? Just in case you are questioned?_ "

" _I do,_ " Toshimichi nodded. " _Do we need to do that now?_ "

"I think it may be best," the drone said. "We don't want to look suspicious."

"Fine. Okay. Spill it. What do you know?"

"Have you heard about something called...Project Hera?"

"Father did mention something about it before. A new breakthrough of some sort."

"Yes. Parts of this project can cure and heal. Hikari was unwittingly used for this experiment. Also, that Commander was fucking her behind our backs."

"No..."

"Yes. She admitted it to me. Her DNA was used to try and make something that could be bred out. I think Father succeeded. Yes. He used her without permission."

"Shut the fuck up!" the man hissed.

"As to what I said before," the drone continued. "the project can also regenerate lost tissue. It may help with Mother. With anyone. It was tested on a soldier that nearly had his arm bitten off in half. The muscle regenerated easily. But, like I said, there are side effects."

"Like what?"

"Like me," the drone smiled and reverted to its true form. The other drones on the ship now reverted to their true forms. "Don't bother trying to escape. Don't bother trying to help your mother. You both have been chosen to assist us."

"What...the hell...?!" he gaped.

"Tsuneo is now locked up on this submarine, too. Yasunori and his partner are now in the fold as one of us. They could not be used, however, and their forms are now used for our purposes. Sakuma is waiting to speak with you when we arrive at our destination. It was by his request that you join us to make the choice to live with him at his side. It was the same with Tsuneo and your mother. Your father may be killed for his form to be used for our gains."

"Yasunori...is dead...?"

"Yes. We have his memories. Hikari was also killed. Sakuma is still alive. He agreed to join with us. He donated his blood to us to allow us to use his face and form at our leisure. You will know why when you meet him. Do not worry about your mother. We will take care of her. We will not kill her."

"Impossible..." he paled. As much as he wanted to grieve over his two siblings, he was in too much shock to do it. "Tsuneo...can I see him?"

"He is unconscious. He followed us and had to be contained. If you wish to see him, you may. You are always watched," the drone said in its monotone voice. "We do not need to sleep or eat. If you need either accommodations, feel free to ask. We have bedding and meals set up for you. If you attack us, you will be restrained."

"How long...has this been...?" he winced.

"Our Empress, Project Hera to you, has been active for less than a year. It has taken three years to create her. Our Emperor, Project Zeus, is her mate. More will be revealed when you speak with Sakuma. I have been ordered to say nothing else," the drone said. "There is a base facility in Japan that our Emperor will be destroying. There have been experimental tests running on various sections of our Empress that she finds blasphemous. That is all I can tell you. You will find out what is offered to you when you speak with Sakuma."

"I need to know more!" Toshimichi demanded, but his words now fell on deaf ears. He was being forced to wait. He swore violently in Japanese at how easily he was tricked. He finally refocused and meditated slightly to bring his temper back under control. _First I need to see to Mother. Then I need to check on Tsuneo. Yasunori and Hikari were now dead._  As much as it pained him, he didn't really care for them all that much. Swallowing, he was now directed to where Tsuneo was being held and kept incapacitated with drugs.

The submarine was taking its time in getting back. By the time the five hour mark hit, Alex had already assisted Agatha in her latest birth of eggs. The female that was ready for Bruce had also hatched out. The dark brown hair she had was exquisitely long. When her eyes opened, they were the steel grey of her father's. She looked rather plain, but she definitely had the curves to show she was voluptuous. When she spoke, it was with a slight ring of authority to show that she didn't put up with any form of shit. It was much like her mother, in that aspect.

"My name is Meret. Where is Bruce?" she asked in point-blank manner.

"In his room," Alex growled. At the sight of him, she cleared her throat and showed instant respect.  _This was my Emperor._  "Don't fuck up with me. Ever."

"Understood," she nodded. He treated her like a soldier.  _She was solid discipline._

"Always show respect to me, too," Agatha nodded. "And your father."

"Of course," Meret nodded. "I didn't expect to come off so harshly."

"Don't make the same mistake twice," Alex warned. "Now go fuck your mate."

She nodded and left after choosing a shirt and pants outfit of soft, light blue cotton. When she left the room, he turned to look at one of the lesser drones of Kim. At the mental command, it nodded and left to start preparing the holding room.

"What is it?" Agatha asked. "Zeus?"

"No one is touching you while I'm gone. Queens and females only will visit you. A submarine is approaching with Sakuma's family. We'll keep the mother under a very close monitor to ensure she doesn't falter in her stable condition. Tsuneo and Toshimichi will be put in the holding room. Sakuma can talk to them in there," Alex said.

"Of course," she nodded. "How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"I'm going to the island first. When I get there, I'll ride the jet to Japan. I'll demolish that base and tear apart everything piece by fucking piece. I'll save the hearts for you," he said. "I will always come back to you, Hera. Have no worry about that."

"I know," she nodded. He kissed her hard and forced himself away from her. It was time for him to head out. He wanted to be out before the other submarine came back. He didn't want to slaughter anyone that he didn't know. On leaving the room, Robin was now in full guardian mode. No male would be allowed to see her from this point forward.

As Alex went to the cryo tube, he gave a mild glare at Robert. For once, the man understood why and showed no malice.  _I can't see Agatha until Alex got back. I don't want Agatha to be in constant birthing pains. She could only give birth when Alex was there._

"I'll see how Sakuma is with his family. I'll stick with my kids, too. Bruce has worked out a communication system. Here," Robert said. He handed over a couple ear pieces. "One of my kids can constantly talk to you this way. It can relay to them within a two mile radius. A set of drones from you and my kids will be in my room to help talk back and forth, too, as a precaution. We don't know what to expect in this base. In any of the bases, really."

"I know. For what it's worth...thanks," Alex nodded. They shook hands.

"Just come back alive. I don't want to be the only one to hear Agatha bitch," Robert smirked. They made the usual rude gestures to each other and parted ways. The ear pieces were now pocketed, and Alex put himself in the cryo tube. Thirty minutes later, he was at the island. A drone sent by Osiris was waiting patiently in the airfield of an island base. The cryo tube was sent back, and he got to the jet quickly by jumping and gliding through the air. He was purposely doing this to ensure he still had the proper survival skills for jumping. He shouldn't have worried so much. Everything was second nature.

He landed with a heavy, solid weight in the ground. The cement cracked and dipped under him, as though a boulder just landed. He rose up easily and looked at the jet in front of him. An SR-71 Blackbird was waiting for him. These jets were unheard of now, but this one was owned by Commander Murlow as one of his personal toys. Osiris wanted to keep it around specifically for that reason. It would get Alex to Japan incredibly swiftly. He also knew that Alex would have to be riding under the jet. It would slow it down slightly, but not by much. A harness was even rigged for him. All he would have to do was release it to free himself into a free fall. The jet would then safely return to Osiris's estate.

Alex moved up to the jet and fastened himself into the harness. His back was pressed against the bottom of the jet, and it was actually cooler here. The engine wouldn't burn him from how far down he was, and his hood would protect his face from bright lights and glares. Even the takeoff was rather smooth. The ocean and various island landscapes sped by swiftly, as he was transported. The sun rose back up, as though the jet was chasing it to reveal even more of what was passing beneath them.

Once the ocean beaches of Japan came into view a couple hours later, the jet made a bee-line for where the base was to be. It would be easy to be undetected. Various drones had already infiltrated the area that would scan the skies for intruders. Much like the hospital, they just knocked out the humans and took a sample of blood. In time, that section of Japan would be utilized. Right now, they just wanted to ensure that their Emperor had safe passage.

As much as Alex wanted to go with Agatha's plan to use Sakuma's mother to bait his father, Alex couldn't wait any longer. The more he waited, the more he knew the other atrocities would gain a defensive plan. _I had to get them while they were still trying to prepare._ At the mental nudge that he was over the base, he let the harness release him. Now that the jet was swift in departing back to United States airways, he was timing his drop to land near where the drugged Hunter was.

Hermanubis saw the jet rather easily, but he couldn't see Alex. As his King and Emperor neared the earth, he smirked with a small nod.  _My King and Emperor never ceased to amaze me._  Alex didn't bother with a parachute. It would have made him far more noticeable. A large plot of land was cleared away for him to land, too. It was needed, and the land was already bulldozed clear for future buildings. It was also two miles away from the base to avoid detection. The crater he left behind was massive and would have caused far too many questions. It was a good thing the drones were ready to bury it up the moment their Emperor made a final landing.

"Status report. Now," Alex muttered. He walked out of the ten foot deep, twenty foot wide crater of plants, dirt, and rocks easily. "We can't wait anymore."

"That we can't," Hermanubis agreed. "Sigyn is watching over the Hunter. Geb and Sekhmet successfully claimed the bodies of Yasunori and his boyfriend. They are on their way to see the father now. They were thinking of asking for money."

"Really? Actually, have them mention that they heard something through a grapevine of a hidden experiment. That they overheard Sakuma say something to Toshimichi. When asked how they were together, they can say that they visited their mother. That they were planning to visit this 'secret base' to find a cure for her. If asked what Sakuma knew, they can name drop Lynette. Or Hikari, since they all know her by that name here. Have it relayed in a phone call, but have them come here before doing it," Alex grinned wickedly. "When the father appears, release the Hunter."

"Done," Hermanubis grinned just as wickedly. "Should we have the Hunter just inside the base? So it looks like it broke in?"

"I like that idea. Do it," Alex chuckled. "Wait until that guy is thirty minutes out. This way, he'll get the calls for infiltration and can set up the interior defenses. Oh, that reminds me. Do we know the floor plans yet?"

"Yes. Apparently, the abominations couldn't give out the pains that the first piece could. It was easy to map out most of it. It's built in a wide circle. What we need to get to is in the center, but it's designed like a spiral. A rather complex floor plan, to be sure. The ducts are too narrow to slip into. It's the same with piping and ventilation. We have to walk in. Osiris and Isis are also here. They arrived with the Hunter and a spare submarine for transport back."

"How many rooms in the spiral?" Alex now asked.

"Funny you should ask. Twenty-five rooms. It turns out that each abomination has a specific training room. Unless called out to work, they live in them. There is a recreation room for eating, a sleeping chamber for scientists and subjects, a bathing area, and a place for minor weapon repair. Of course, there is the lab, but that's where the piece of Mother is being held," Hermanubis said. "In the very center."

"Right," Alex mused. "It's interesting. Your mother was saying the same design for the base as a form of a trap. I wonder if something did tell her about this. Anyways, the main lobby is the first room?"

"Yes. And, it's the main security room, too. Practically all of the defenses are in the main room of this base. From what we gathered, none can try to infiltrate from the twenty rooms that are occupied. Of course, nineteen now," the breeder male smirked. "The base is impenetrable, too. Everything leaving and coming in can only occur through the main entrance. There are no secret entrances. No hidden walls. No trick doors. Just solid steel, concrete, and dirt. It's also based on an island, too. Only way in is through the bridge under the water."

"Interesting. So, if there is an explosion, they're all trapped there," Alex thought. "No emergency exits at all, huh?"

"No. The ventilation shafts are exceptionally narrow. And heavily filtered."

"How strong is the bridge?"

"It was reported that a tsunami hit the island. The bridge was fine. Even after all the debris that slammed into it. It's virtually indestructible."

"Maybe from the outside. Likely not the inside. I want to fuck this place up already. Get the Hunter into position," Alex snorted.

"Wait, my King and Emperor. You need to know this, too," Hermanubis said. "The floor plan is based like a spiral. However, it's not horizontal. It's vertical."

"What?!"

"You will be jumping through floors, running through them, and climbing up ladders for each one," he explained. "It's a bitch. It was mainly designed as a training ground for each abomination. It helped to keep them in shape. All of the main facilities are at the top, of course, but the lower ones are a bitch to reach. There are no elevator shafts. There is one to the main central lab, but, think about it. If the base is in lockdown, that won't work. Everything will be sealed off. You may be able to open it up from inside the lab. We can only hope so."

"I'll fucking say so!" Alex snorted. At the same time, it didn't bother him at all.  _I have to collect the hearts from the abominations for Agatha._ He took the ear pieces out from his pocket, and Hermanubis was quick to take one. He would be the one to inform his Emperor. _It was part of the hunt, after all._  He looked over to see Osiris and Isis approaching in a small land rover. There was enough room for him and Hermanubis to join them.

"Let's go now. The Hunter is being given the drugs needed to wake up. Geb just called up Sakuma's father. Outraged and shocked doesn't completely come to par," Osiris grinned. "I also made a call to him as the Commander to demand why information was leaked. It's rather fun putting his ass on the spot."

"I also screamed at him for using DNA without permission," Isis giggled. "We need to head there now. We can take you beyond the bridge. The Hunter will keep him and security busy. Drones are currently awaiting us to escort us to safety. We need to go now to keep the element of surprise."

"That's what I want to hear," Alex nodded. He went over everything told to him crucially.  _Time was of the essence. The enemy was caught off guard. It was time to strike._


	56. Chapter 56

Hedeyasu Hamamoto was enjoying a light lunch in his main office when he got a call from, who he thought, was his son, Yasunori. The light tone always enraged him to hear it. He preferred the deep, natural tones of his other sons. The light tone sounded too female.  _Too weak._ At first, he ignored the call and let it go to voicemail. He neatened out his lightly groomed mustache, combed back his graying, thinning hair, and wiped his mouth a bit clean from the sushi he was eating. Hiding his disgruntled nature, he answered the phone when it rang a second time. His son always called until he was spoken to.

" _What do you wish? I am in the middle of my lunch,_ " the older man said with irritation.

" _Um...I just saw Mother in the hospital,_ " Geb said with Yasunori's tone.

" _What?_ " he asked.

" _Yes. Sakuma called me to talk to me. He told me that Mother was in bad shape. That she hurt her head. The doctors weren't specific as to how..._ "

" _No need to know. I found her like that. How is she?_ " the father asked now.

" _She was released, and Sakuma took her away. I think Toshimichi was going to help him. Tsuneo was also told what happened. Sakuma said that Hikari spoke to him, too. She told him that odd things happened. She also told him that a cure for Mother could have been found._ "

" _If there is, then this is news to me,_ " the older man growled. " _Where are you located?!_ "

" _Where am I? Oh! I am with Nariaki. He remembered that he thought he saw where you worked before. We are heading over there now._ "

" _Don't you DARE take that person to my laboratory!_ " he snapped. " _He is not family, and you are not allowed there, either! Head back to where your apartments are! Right now!_ "

" _Hard to do that, Father,_ " Geb said smoothly with a hint of worry. " _Your official...ah, they want us out of the car to wait for you._ "

" _You idiot!_ " the older man seethed. At another call coming through from his security team, he sighed with dismay. " _I'll call you back, if I can!_ "

" _Yes, Father,_ " Geb sighed. The drone on the other end with the call waiting gave a small nod to show it was ready. The guard it consumed was easy to manipulate.

" _Sir, I am sure that you know that your son and boyfriend are here,_ " the drone started.

" _Shut up! I know!_ " Hedeyasu scowled. " _Just hold them in a room for now! Separately!_ "

" _Of course, Sir,_ " the drone agreed. He swore after the call finished, and he muttered as he finished off his lunch hastily. He rose up from his chair to show that he was tall once, but now his body seemed to be shrinking. It was a genetic trait for his family. The black suit he wore seemed to give the illusion of his former height. He got to his black luxury car and got in with his valet to drive for him. At the next phone ring, he blinked at the number. Now he took in a deep breath for control before answering it.

" _Hello? Hedeyasu speaking,_ " he said.

"You old fuck! You know to speak English with me!" Osiris had called him with Commander John in effect. "I just got a call from your security team that one of your kids was caught snooping! What the fuck are you trying to pull?!"

"Hikari has a big mouth!" Hedeyasu snapped. "She told Sakuma what was going on! Then he blabbed about it to the family!"

"Lynette?" Osiris asked. He knew that calling her the American name pissed him off. "Is this true? Did you say this?"

"I was scared," Isis trembled in the background, as Lynette normally would. "I didn't know he would blab..."

"Hopefully he won't come to any harm," Osiris sighed. "That reminds me, Hedeyasu, did the DNA strand work? The one from her?"

"It did, to an extent. Not breeding quality, but good for face and form," Hedeyasu said with a touch of pride. "I told you it would!"

"What DNA?" Isis suddenly asked.

"Oh..." Osiris gave the feeling of a wince.

"You used  _MY_  DNA?!" she scowled. "Without my permission?! Father! Please tell me you didn't! You couldn't have!"

"I did what I had to do!" Hedeyasu scowled. Now Isis went into this swearing tirade and stormed off as Lynette would when she lost her temper.

"She'll get over it," Osiris chuckled softly. "She always does. Anyways, we'll be coming out soon. I want to see the results. She should, too."

"Fine. I'll be there," the old man said.

"Good," Osiris said and hung up the connection. Hedeyasu was not happy. He called up the hospital to demand where his wife was. When they told him that records show that she was released, he was furious.  _Sakuma's signature was on the documents._  Now he called up his son.

" _Sakuma! Where is your mother?!_ " he growled. Instead of the drone answering this call, it was redirected to Sakuma. He wanted to personally answer this phone call. He was informed on everything the drone did. He knew exactly what he wanted to say.

" _She is safe from you. Since I know that you are the one that almost killed her,_ " Sakuma said with such a cold tone in his voice that his father actually gaped. " _I found this out from one of the maids. You will never touch her in such a manner ever again. I refuse to allow you the satisfaction. I had her moved. Is she alive? Yes. But, she is still unconscious. You cracked her skull when you struck her! She may have brain damage now! I have my own team of doctors that will help her. And, yes, it involves Project Hera. They want to see if Mother will become healed. Maybe I'll see you at the base. Maybe I won't. We'll see. I refuse to speak to you ever again if Mother dies. Goodbye._ "

The old man stared at the phone in his own form of private shock. He had no idea how badly he hurt his wife. He was trembling with a form of shame.  _It was never my intention to make her a target for my anger._ He knew that Sakuma had the wisest head of all his sons on his shoulders.  _He had every right to see to his mother's safety. Even Toshimichi knew the way the world worked, but not as good as Sakuma. I should have paid more attention to my youngest son. Was it too late for that?_

Then he paused at another thought of realization.  _Sakuma said he was going to the base. Hikari could have said where it was. He had to be there with his mother!_ He was still looking at his phone when he whispered, " _I am sorry, Asuna. I will do what I can to make it right._ "

The next call he got would make all of his thoughts shatter. Answering the phone, he heard a horrific, screaming roar. His main head of security was on the phone. " _Sir! We are being attacked by a viral mutation! It's huge! The largest we've ever seen!_ "

" _WHAT?!_ " the man shouted. " _Impossible! They are all quarantined on that island!_ "

" _Sir, that's not the case now! Our bullets aren't even-!_ " the choked off scream with coughing blood was the last thing heard before the call went dead.

" _This...can't be happening..._ " Hedeyasu trembled. His thoughts went to his wife.  _She was supposed to be at that base! And now it was under attack?!_ He called up Commander John's cellphone, and he remembered to speak in English. "We have a big problem. How fast can you get here?"

"What's going on?" Osiris asked calmly.

"We have one of those massive creatures from the island attacking the base!" he hissed.

"What?!" Osiris acted out his shock. He had an aerial image sent to his phone. "Okay. I agree. We have a problem. I'm almost at the base. I'll see if I can slip past it with my team and lock down the lab. I would notify security, if I were you. Actually, fuck that, I'll do it!"

"My wife was supposed to be there," he cringed.

"If she is, I'll safeguard her. You have my word," Osiris said solemnly. The call was disconnected, and the old man was now taken to another area. He still had to see to the base, but he would wait until the threat was cleared. It was all he could do.


	57. Chapter 57

"Interesting," Alex mused from the land rover he was in with the breeders. "He was actually concerned about what he did for his wife."

"I know. I wonder if he would turn to our cause if we saved her," Osiris grinned. "The man is a scientific genius with biochemical warfare."

"True. We'll talk about it after I fuck up this base. I need a carry case for those hearts," Alex said. "Your mother needs them."

"I'll follow you after each room and carry them," Hermanubis said. "I won't trust any other. What do we do about Hedeyasu?"

"Keep track of where he's being taken. Then take over his driver. When we get into the base, he should be called. Osiris, you call him. Tell him that you need to take him to a place of safety. You can tell him it's on a submarine offshore. Give him some tea. Put sleeping drugs in it. Stuff that's known to calm the nerves, only this will work too good for him. He does give a shit about his wife. We'll see about reviving her and let her give him what for if she feels like it," Alex grinned savagely. "And, yes, we'll record the meeting."

"Sounds like fun," Osiris chuckled. Isis giggled and looked over at the base entrance. Sigyn was quick to run over to them and latch onto the rover. As they all assumed their disguises, the massive Hunter didn't even take notice of them. It was busy wreaking havoc on the security squads. If it was still alive later, they'd kill it for fun.

Osiris expertly drove the rover quickly down the five mile tunnel. It was pitch black, save for the small emergency lights along the ceiling to guide them down the straight underwater road. After ten minutes, they got to the island base. Right before they reached the security checkpoint, Alex tapped Osiris on the shoulder. "Tell them about the fucker at the entrance."

"Got it," Osiris muttered in his Commander guise. When the rover drove up to show the group that was in it, the security personnel was confused. When they noticed that English was being spoken, they focused on the language to understand it. "Hedeyasu sent me here with my crew. A viral mutation is attacking the first security checkpoint. Get your team out there, and either quarantine it or kill it! If that son of a bitch gets into the city, we're all fucked! If it gets in here, you're all fucked after I kill you, myself!"

"Sir, yes, Sir!" the men said together. The small cars they got into were gone down the tunnel the moment they were turned on.

"I have to lock down this base! I need a status report!" he growled. "Are all accounted for? We can't have anything go missing or go wrong!"

"All of the clones are accounted for. Save for one. Sniper specialty is missing," the lead security man said. "We have them in their training locations."

"Good," Alex smirked and consumed the man to gain his memories. "I'm going hunting. Hermanubis, get your ass in gear! We have to do this now!"

"Should we get more drones in here?" Sigyn asked.

"No. Just us. Monitor the cameras. Use the communication devices we were given. Osiris, you have to call Hedeyasu to track him and get him into a submarine. We can't fuck this up. We go in. Slaughter the bitches. Gather the hearts. Grab the piece of your mother. Leave. One shot. It's all we got. Let's go," Alex growled. The breeders nodded.

"This place would make an awesome base for us," Isis mused.

"No. The military might know about it. We blow it up," Alex said, and he put the communicator into his ear. "You have a cooler handy? We're gonna need it for the hearts."

"I have one, like I said before," Hermanubis nodded. He showed the cold compress bag to him. "We'll put the hearts in it and chill them when we reach the submarine."

"Isis, you can hear me?" Alex asked.

"Loud and clear," she said when she checked her end of the communicator.

"Good," Alex nodded. "Hmm. These memories I acquired tell me that the bitches are arranged from weakest to strongest. Monitor the cameras. Hermanubis. Sigyn. Fuck up all the scientists and personnel you come across. Only when they're dead can I get to work on fucking up everything else. We start...now!"

Alex seethed and ran into the control room with his claws out and ready to slaughter everything. Osiris smirked, and Isis was quick to help with the pursuit. Hermanubis and Sigyn kissed hard before bolting into the mess room to start the slaughter there. The sleeping chamber was next, and the blood bath was easily spread to the walls and just outside the chamber door. Osiris and Isis were at the control room computers and issued a report that the base was under attack. Anyone that tried to flee was quick to fall prey to Hermanubis and his sister.

"Bathroom?" Hermanubis asked, as his claws tore a man in half.

"Killed a few that were taking a shit," Sigyn grinned savagely with her own claws out.

"Perfect, sister mine.," he chuckled. "I need to follow our King and Emperor. You got it from here? I'm sure you do."

She sent him a glowing smile that made him tremble with lust.  _She had it under control._ Thinking to the hive mind, she stood as sentry, and Hermanubis stayed a few feet behind Alex to collect the hearts he left behind. Alex was now walking into the first chamber of the cloned abominations. He had to kill them off, and he recalled what he was fighting first. The chamber he entered was solid steel with very few decorations or forms of furniture. A punching bag was hanging in one corner with a few free weights.

It was strictly a training room. And he was the new practice target. The black-haired female shrieked and ran at him to punch him out with a lightning quick move that was known to subdue even the fastest human soldier known. What she didn't plan on was the blade waiting to meet her rush. She ran right into her own death.

"Weakest to strongest. So...the first one is..." Alex mused. He turned and had already impaled the first one on his blade. "Hand to hand. Pathetic. Send a message to your computer. The Blacklight Virus is here to offer up his regards. The piece of Project Hera  _will_  be mine!"

"No...!" the clone gasped. He ripped through her black armor like nothing. It was made to be bullet proof and weather proof. It was like shredded paper against his attack. She was shocked.  _I already failed?!_ The message given was sent and broadcasted. Mass hysteria was going to ensue for survival. He dumped the dying thing on the ground and let Hermanubis finish it off to collect the heart. Alex nodded to him and went into the next room.

"The first three rooms are the upper levels. Fourth room is under the third room. That is where the spiral starts," Isis said in the communicator. "You should see a ladder in each lower corner of the room. When you get to the tenth room, you'll find three rooms in a straight path. In the thirteenth room, a ladder should go up."

"Got it," Alex snorted. In the second room, he was surrounded by a cloud of mist. The abomination that attacked him was soon impaled from his newly honed senses from his last kill. "Hand to hand with concealment. Really? Disgusting!"

"They didn't have much to work with, did they?" Hermanubis grinned and harvested the heart. "Of course, like you said, these are all weak."

"Saving the best for last, I guess," Alex shrugged. The next chamber showed rows of black powder all over the room. Each row ended at a weapon that was designed to either shoot or explode. "Black powder? Not really pyrotechnics, but..."

"Ceiling!" Isis hissed in the communicator. Alex looked up and found the clone holding several lit matches. Just as they all dropped, he activated his armor shielding. After the room went quiet and the smoke cleared, the clone dropped to the ground. The only problem was that she dropped right onto his blade.

"Next!" Alex grunted and tossed the body aside. He found no doorway, but he remembered what he was told about that ladder. It was found and quickly used. Once his feet hit a solid steel floor, he stood up tall. The clone held a knife at his throat in a rather expert manner from behind him. She was waiting for him to appear. "You're an idiot! A knife? Really? Maybe you should have been the first one killed!"

"I..." the clone gasped at the tentacle that pierced through her gut and tore her in half.

"Fucking pathetic! This is what the Japanese have to offer?! I was expecting more of a fight! Maybe the next room will be more promising," he muttered. Hermanubis was calmly gathering up the hearts. None of these abominations were worthy prey to him.

"The fucker at the entrance is more worthy than these things," the breeder male smirked.

"No shit!" Alex growled. The next ladder was located and descended. All he had to do was jump down. After what happened in the room he was just in, he figured it was best. However, his quarry was on the other end of the room and throwing knives were thrown with expert precision. His shield formed to protect him, and he darted over quickly to impale her into the wall with his blade. "Nice try. At least you put up a better fight."

"I'll keep these knives. They're an excellent quality," Hermanubis chuckled.

"Fine," he nodded. Another ladder was found, and he jumped down. The next clone was an expert at martial arts, but succumbed to the claws he grew out. A limb was kicked aside, and the next ladder was located.

"Use armor," Isis advised.

"Done," Alex muttered. The moment he descended, a katar slid off his armored skin harmlessly. The hand that held it was next to be removed with the rest of the limbs. "Tenth room. Okay. Three rooms straight?"

"Yes. You're making good time," Isis chuckled.

"Your mother's still a bitch, but even I miss her after a while," he grunted.

"She misses you, too," Isis said softly.

"I'll hurry. No one else fucked her?"

"No. Father is being entertained by dancing Queens in the school. You know that Cronus isn't there with Rhea. The submarine with Toshimichi, his brother, and his mother is closing in, but we'll have them set up in the holding chamber," she said.

"Good. After I fuck your mother, she can meet him with the others," he said.

"Of course," she agreed. "Shield for the next two rooms."

"Right," Alex said. The moment he walked into this steel room, several darts from a blow dart tube bounced off him harmlessly. He looked over at the clone and grinned. After the walls were painted with blood, the next chamber was accessed. He found his armored arm encased in a hook and chain. When he was pulled inwards, his blade was out to impale the clone that pulled him over. "Free ride to death. Not bad."

"That actually looked like fun," Hermanubis chuckled.

"I'm sure," Alex grinned. The next steel chamber revealed a clone with a Bo staff. He grew out his hammer arms and spun around. The moment she jumped at him, she was already flying into wall with a crushed in spine. "As always. Pathetic."

"They may have been the best of their status, but to go against you, my King and Emperor, it's just...hilarious!" Hermanubis laughed. "You are the virus that they are supposed to fight. It's like they just...can't do it!"

"They aren't the finished project. That's why. They are a weaker offshoot. This proves it. They were made to be weapons of war, but not against me," Alex smirked. "Ah, that's right. Ladder goes up now. Maybe I can just leap up it..."

"May be best," the breeder male nodded. Alex had his claws out, and he did a massive jump to enter the next room. It was a good thing he was prepared. This clone held nun-chucks and was expecting him to be climbing up for an easy advantage. Now that he held the element of surprise, he was quick to rip this clone to shreds. However, he now knew that the others were going to expect this.

"Maybe now things will start getting fun," he grinned sadistically. He leapt up into the next chamber and blocked the dual swords that swung at him. His tentacles were able to make short work of this one. He paused to recall what to expect next. "Next room might be a bitch. I killed the sniper whore, so that room should be empty. After that, the next two rooms may be a pain in the ass. Hermanubis!"

"My King and Emperor?" he asked, as he collected the heart.

"I  _might_  need your help in these next three rooms. These last four were supposed to be the toughest ones. We'll have to see," Alex said. Hermanubis nodded with understanding.

"When you walk into this room, the next three rooms will be straight," Isis said. "Osiris was able to contact Hedeyasu. His driver is now in our fold, and he will be taken to the submarine in question. Did you want another one to take you back separately?"

"No. I'll just remain in my guise," Alex snorted. "Or just keep him in a lockdown room. He'll be sleeping, anyways, if the drugs kick in."

"Yes, my King and Emperor," Isis said.

"Do you know what the next few rooms hold?" Hermanubis asked.

"I do. Did you want me to tell you?" she asked.

"No. I'll be surprised," Alex growled. "I'll have armor on, anyways."

"Good idea," she agreed. He rose a brow at this and activated his armor. On leaping up into this room, he stopped in his tracks. The walls showed explosive scorch marks.

"True demolition..." Alex muttered. He saw the clone against the wall tossing a bomb up and down into her hand. Her other hand held a stick of dynamite and an unlit match. "Okay, bitch. Show me what you got. I survived nuclear blasts. Impress me."

"What?!" the clone gaped. When Alex moved as a blur along the walls, Hermanubis chuckled.  _My King and Emperor had been silently enhancing in all of his skills with each kill._ He was almost too fast to watch now. Even as the bombs and dynamite sticks were tossed, it was as a form of defense and distraction. The clone knew that there was no way she could even attempt to come up to par with Alex. Her severed head was now hitting the wall from how fast his blade severed it from the body. The next chamber awaited, and he rushed through it with blood still dripping off the blade. The chamber was empty, thanks to the first sniper kill on the island.

The moment he walked into this chamber, the crossbow couldn't even be fired from the whip attack that Alex made. He was able to reach her from across the room. The clone was torn in half before she could even blink. It would have been fun to fight, but Alex didn't want to waste any more time. At the approach to the next room, he paused.  _This was the fight I was waiting for. This was going to be the true bitch to fight._

"There should be two left," Hermanubis muttered.

"Might find the last one in the lab. If not, it might turn up later," he chuckled. He knew that one of the clones was stealth.  _And it was hiding._ "If it does show up, maybe we'll save it for your mother. She deserves to kill one. Doesn't she?"

"That she does," Hermanubis grinned. Isis was able to report what it was. "If we're followed, then, oh well. As you said, we'll save it. I'm sure it would want to see Mother, too."

"Of course," Alex grinned back. "Anyways, this room will be a pain in the ass. Don't help me. I know I've been evolving. I'm at my peak for this next bitch."

"Yes, my King and Emperor," he nodded. "I shall wait for you."

"Good," he nodded back. The moment he walked in, the chamber doors sealed shut. The others didn't do that. This chamber was far different than the others, too. Everything was heat resistant. And there were plenty of places to attack around and duck behind. "Pyrotechnics. Fine. Give it your best shot."

"Gladly!" the clone sneered from where she was on the highest pillar. Fire blazed out from the blowtorch guns she used, and he darted out of the way. When she looked for him, his claws were now strong enough that he was using them to pierce into the steel wall to climb up it. Then he ripped them out to make steps for his feet.  _He was making himself an advantage._  The clone was horrified. She tried to get a lock on him, but he was moving at an incredible speed.

When he reached the ceiling, he leapt down with his hammers out. Now it was her turn to dodge his attack, and she darted off the steel pillar she was on. His jump attack was so devastating that he crushed down the pillar like an empty soda can. Now he grinned widely.  _Each pillar was hollow to conserve on costs and supplies._ He was still grinning when he charged after her with his blade out. He was going to play with her like a cat did to a mouse.

With each pillar she hid behind, he destroyed it. When there was only one pillar left, she readied her flamethrower guns. She was panting from the exertion. He didn't even break a sweat. Not that he could, anyways. Even as she turned to start firing out the streams of intense, searing flame from the pillar corner in one last act of fury, his blade had already neatly severed through her and the pillar she was hiding behind. It was as though she spun into action just as his blade made a path right through her mid-section from the opposite direction. At the clone's death, the fight was over.

The doors opened and revealed Hermanubis grinning. Then his grin turned into slack-jawed shock at the pillar falling one way and the severed corpse of the clone falling the other way. There were no cameras in the room. The sight of what he now gleaned was relayed through the hive link. Alex turned slowly to glare at him with a small, twisted grin. His blade was dripping with fresh blood. He was still in a dangerous killing mood. Hermanubis bowed respectfully to him on a bended knee to show he was no match.

"My Emperor," he said solemnly. He no longer referred to him as King. Alex had surpassed that. "Mother is greatly impressed. She awaits your arrival when we are done."

"I'll fuck her brains out with joy when I see her," he nodded. "I...can sense the last one. I'm not doing anything. Not worth my time. Let it try to prove its worth. Maybe it can try to reach our escape vessel of a submarine. I need to get the piece of my mate. Grab the heart from this bitch. Let's go."

"Yes, my Emperor," Hermanubis nodded. The camouflaged clone was clearly panicking. At Alex's mention of an escape vessel, it was ordered by the computer to find it and board it. If the clone could find where the main base was, then maybe it could sabotage it as an act of vengeance. Even the clone knew that this base was lost. The computer knew its demise was near, too. Alex felt the clone leave, and he grinned all the more. It was what he wanted. He knew that Agatha would be furiously pissed off, if the clone made it to the base.  _I saw her livid. I saw her pissed. I haven't seen her in a blood-thirsty rage yet. Maybe that would change. I want to see exactly how savage she could be._

He wasn't surprised that the breeder male couldn't sense the clone. That was the specialization, after all. Alex was simply so enhanced that nothing could remain hidden for long. Everything was child's play now. He walked into the lab and found the main computer. On glaring at it, he mused to himself.

"Isis. Can you transfer control of this computer to a portable one? We still have one clone left, and I don't want the thing to think that we already have an advantage," Alex said.

"I can work on it! Osiris has a laptop available that I can use," she said.

"Good. When it's done, I'll destroy this one. Or just set the base to self-destruct as we leave. Maybe we'll just do that. Hermanubis, activate the elevator. Sigyn needs to ready our vehicle. The moment I collect the piece, we're gone. I want this place to self-destruct," Alex said. He approached the tank that held the piece of Agatha, and he paused. Just like the first piece he found, it was scared. It knew how powerful he was now. He smiled warmly and whispered, "It's okay. You're safe now. I'm taking you home."

The small piece tried to become more solid, but failed. It was very weak from the abuse it went through. It was a much larger piece before, but this was all that was left of it after constant experiments. He put his hand into the tank, and his hand was coiled around. It was about the length of his arm and rather heavy, as it clung to him with a form of trust. It was very tired, scared, weak, and relieved.

Hermanubis shivered with a form of protection.  _This was a piece of Mother._ It burned him slightly with its presence, but he forced himself to overcome it. He had to help it. He walked over with a large container that he found and said, "You are a piece of my Mother. Come. Let's get you home."

"We may need smaller containers. Can you split up for me?" Alex asked gently. Unlike the first one, it simply couldn't do that. It was made as a whole piece and spliced off when needed. The sensation of failure was given, but Alex made a soothing sound to calm it. "Okay. We'll move as carefully as we can. Hermanubis, we'll need a lid."

"Found one," he said. The container was set into the solution, and the piece quickly accommodated it. Alex lifted the whole thing out, and the breeder male put the lid over it. The elevator was now operational, and the other breeders were quick to help transport the special piece. The camouflaged clone was already waiting on the vehicle they were going to use to escape the base. Osiris had already put that Site Three was now a lost cause and destroyed. The armored car they boarded in was quick to start down the long tunnel stretch. Isis had just finished transferring everything from the main clone computer to the laptop.

"Destroy the base once we're on dry land," Alex said, as he drove the vehicle. He knew the clone was riding on top of the car. "Let's finish this."

"Understood," Isis nodded. Alex was focused on driving now. He wanted to get to the submarine to get back to Agatha. He missed her terribly. He just didn't say anything. There was no need to, and those in the car were eager to get to the next plan of action.


	58. Chapter 58

The Hunter was still alive when they reached the exit. Alex was able to simply move out of the armored car, run up to the monstrosity, and severe its head cleanly from its body. There were quite a few drones outside that were hidden in the military rankings, and they would take charge in stripping the bones of meat to transport the pieces to the waiting submarine. A container filled with dry ice was now given over for the hearts that Hermanubis was carrying in his bag. That would chill them up nicely to keep them from spoiling.

When they got to the submarine, Hedeyasu was already drugged up in sleep. He was strapped down in a bed in case he woke up, but it was doubtful. The camouflaged clone found a spot to wait near the back of the submarine. At the feel of the intense vibration from the explosion that happened next, the clone could only shudder. She would do whatever she could to exact her vengeance. Right now, she had to be patient and remain hidden.

Alex knew the clone was with them. He kept his face blank and monitored the hearts. He refused to let them leave his sight. He made sure the piece of Agatha was near him, too. He also knew that the laptop that Isis had was storing critical information on everything that happened. The clone on board may not be giving over any new memories, but the old ones were what mattered to him. As the submarine made its way back to the underwater base, something was already unfolding there.

Toshimichi was in the holding room with Tsuneo. His mother was in Ragland's care to remain stable. A shot of Agatha's blood wasn't given over yet. As much as Toshimichi was overly concerned, he was waiting for answers. Sakuma was already on his way to meet him.

"Do I join you?" Amaterasu asked.

"Not yet. You will know when I need you. Have Karl keep an eye on Ran," Sakuma smiled. She nodded and kissed him lovingly. "I'll be fine."

"If he tries to strike you, I will intervene," she vowed. That had him crack a grin and squeeze her. She blushed softly at him and let him walk away from her.  _She would tear apart anyone that harmed me._  Even he knew this. Like her mother, she had her tentacle hair. Even their daughter had this ability. When Sakuma sensed she was still worried, he sighed.

"You can still hide yourself?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Fine. Keep hidden and at my side. I know you are worried."

"Thank you."

"It's all right," he smiled. She looked very relieved, and he would never want to see her so worried over him. As much as he wanted to protect her, he knew that she wanted to do the very same for him.  _She was my equal and didn't want to be treated any less._ They confronted the chamber, and the door opened for him. There were scout drones hidden in the room to monitor the situation, too, but she wanted to personally take care of her mate.

" _Sakuma? Is it really you?_ " Toshimichi asked when he moved from the bed.

" _It is. In the flesh,_ " Sakuma smiled softly. He sat down at the table and gestured for his brother to join him. " _There is much that I need to talk to you about. I would have another do it, but you are family. You should hear this from family._ "

" _I would prefer it that way,_ " Toshimichi agreed. " _Do we wake Tsuneo?_ "

" _As much as I don't want to...hmm. I suppose we must,_ " Sakuma nodded. " _Amaterasu? My dear? Are you with me?_ "

" _Always, my love,_ " she said softly. She dropped the camouflage and appeared next to him. " _I can send the message to have your brother awoken. And...it is done!_ "

" _Thank you,_ " he smiled. She rested a hand on his shoulder. Toshimichi was gaping at the flawless beauty that was before him. _She was a singular pillar of perfection!_ " _This is my wife. My daughter is with her protector. Amaterasu's mother is far more beautiful than her. Than any you will see. In time, you may meet her. But...this is why I stayed. This is also why I agreed to stay. Amaterasu was formed from my subconscious thoughts. She was made strictly for me. I honestly had no idea as to what type of woman I was searching for._ "

" _Apparently not,_ " his brother swallowed. The Oriental beauty's steel grey eyes seemed to pierce into him. She was very protective over her husband. A lesser drone of Aden walked in to administer the wake up drug needed for Tsuneo. When it left shortly after, other drones came in with small meals. They were thanked and calmly regarded.

Sakuma made sure that Kim knew how to fashion authentic Japanese cuisine of the highest standards. It was easy for the drone to learn and pass on the knowledge to the rest of the hive mind. Toshimichi was in awe at how skillfully each piece of sushi and Japanese dish was served. All of it was fresh, sumptuous, and exceptionally filling.  _It was as though I was eating at five-star restaurant! For free!_

In the middle of their meal, Tsuneo groaned at last and woke up. After his senses right themselves, he bolted up into the bed to demand an explanation. At the sight of Amaterasu, his jaw dropped. She gave a light nod and went back to eating.

" _My wife, Amaterasu, wanted to meet you. Come and eat. I was going to explain everything,_ " Sakuma said. " _And don't bother trying to escape. We aren't on land._ "

" _What?_ " Tsuneo asked. Sakuma gestured to the window. When the curtain was drawn back, he stiffened with complete shock. " _Where is Mother? Father? Yasunori? What's going on?! I deserve to know!_ "

" _I know you do. Now come here and eat. Or you starve,_ " Sakuma said calmly. " _How is our daughter? Is she well?_ "

" _She is well, dear,_ " Amaterasu smiled. " _Did you want her here?_ "

" _Not yet. We will see how things go. I do need to tell them of what to expect,_ " he smiled. She rested a protective and comforting hand against his shoulder with an understanding nod. She was his silent rock of protection. She gave him the space he needed, but also encouraged him with confidence to do what needed to be done in so many ways. Toshimichi was just in shock at how they were working together.  _This was Sakuma's true partner._

" _Amazing,_ " Toshimichi swallowed. " _How she is with you. I would do so much to have such a woman at my side. How did you find her?_ "

" _I will explain. And...if you really feel this way, it may be possible for you to have such a woman, too,_ " Sakuma chuckled. " _It's a lot to take in, though._ "

" _You're serious. Aren't you?_ " Tsuneo frowned.

" _As serious as telling you that Yasunori and Hikari are both dead,_ " Sakuma said with a lower of his gaze. Tsuneo's jaw dropped. Toshimichi already knew this, but the knowledge still stung. For an hour, Sakuma told them of what happened in full. He told them what he knew. He also told them what would happen if they declined to assist the viral hive. The two older brothers looked at each with complete surprise. If they didn't join, they would be killed.

" _Why was Yasunori killed?_ " Tsuneo asked.

" _He was attracted to males. Not females. As much as we don't care for how others take their personal life, he wouldn't have been useful. It's possible that a female could have been made for him, but would he truly be attracted to her? It's unlikely. Besides, before he died, he admitted his love for Nariaki. He made up his mind on where he wanted his desires to go,_ " Sakuma shrugged. " _The hive has his memories, and vials of his blood were taken. If you feel you want to 'talk' to him, then a drone can appear to do just that with his face and form. It will be as though he never died. It's what they do for Hikari if I want to see her._ "

" _What is going to happen to Mother?_ " Toshimichi asked.

" _If Mother doesn't want to be with Father, we will give her the choice to help make Queens. She will get a male to her standards. It could be the same with Father on getting a female, but I will never trust Father after what he did,_ " Sakuma said with a cold edge to his tone.

" _Your Father has been quarantined,_ " Amaterasu frowned. " _He is in a drugged sleep and being brought here with my Emperor._ "

" _They decided to bring him?! Why?!_ " Sakuma growled.

" _To see if he can be used. He is a genius, you know. Yes, if he is unfitting, we shall claim his memories. But...right now, the hive needs to grow and expand. Even you know this,_ " she smiled softly. He gave out a heavy sigh and shook his head. " _My Emperor believes that your father may be convinced to help, if we save your mother's life._ "

" _Fine. I won't go against his word. And, just so the two of you know, the Emperor is known as Project Zeus. The one quarantined on the island. Yes, he escaped. Don't fuck with him. He'll kill you without a second thought. Don't touch the Empress, either. He won't be the only one ready to gut you open. She'll do it herself. Anyways, I'm sure you'll both be spoken to soon. Decide what you want to do. Become a stud male, or one to help make Queens. I need to see my daughter. And, if you really are perverted, one of you could help her make Queens when the time comes. Brothers and sisters are together all the time here. It doesn't matter where they come from. Yes, it's shocking, but it's how this all works. Amaterasu could be my sister with what happened to me. We share the same blood now. It's weird._ "

" _I don't hear you complaining,_ " she grinned wickedly. He gave her grin right back and pinched her side to hear her squeal. When the door opened, Dionysus had walked in with a friendly wave. Sakuma cleared his throat to keep the chuckle down.

"Hi! I'm Dionysus. Ah, you both can speak English? If not, I can speak Japanese. Thanks to the memories, of course. But...it's up to you," he said, as he sat down.

"We can," Toshimichi nodded.

"You say you Dionysus?" Tsuneo asked. His English wasn't as good as his brothers.

" _Would you rather I talk like this?_ " Dionysus sighed with a slight roll of his eyes.

"No," Sakuma grinned. "You're fine. Tsuneo needs to practice."

"Right..." Tsuneo muttered. "So, what you?"

"What me? Oh! What am I? I'm a breeder male. I make more drones. I'm mated to my twin sister. She's a breeder female named Athena. Yeah, we took on the names of various gods and goddesses. It would make sense considering our Mother is Project Hera, and our Emperor is Project Zeus. Others have chosen names from other places like Egypt, and, of course, Japan, as Amaterasu has done," Dionysus nodded. When Hermes walked in, the breeder male gave a cheerful smile. "Hello, asshole!"

"Damn straight," Hermes grinned. "I'm Hermes. I'm a specialized breeder male made in Dana's image. Much like how Amaterasu is made for Sakuma."

"And what Hentai Manga did you pop out of?" Toshimichi asked. Dionysus coughed, slammed his fist on the table, and barked out laughing, as he hid his face in his other hand.

"Apparently one with tentacles," Hermes grinned a bit more. Sakuma choked down his laughter, and Amaterasu started to giggle like crazy. Tsuneo found himself trying not to laugh. "Anyways, yes. I help make Queens as a special male. So far, Dana is the only human female. She's special, though. It was her DNA strand that was used. Not Hikari's. Dana is, was, the biological sister to the one that became Project Zeus."

"Really?!" Toshimichi blinked.

"Yes. She's pregnant with another Queen," Hermes nodded.

"How do Queens form?" Tsuneo asked. Dionysus rose up his hand to take over the conversation. He explained how drones, breeders, and Queens happened. He went into further detail with Kings. On learning this, the brothers were clearly intrigued. "So...Mother make Queen? If happens?"

"It's possible," Dionysus nodded. "if she wants to do that."

"I'd rather have someone that will protect her than Father," Sakuma muttered.

"We know," Hermes nodded. "My Emperor will be back in another three hours. You both need to decide what you want to do. If he comes here, and neither of you know..."

"It may be the last time you see your Mother. Or your brother," Dionysus sighed. "We came in here to show you what it would be like. To give you a taste of being a part of our group. No, you won't be able to go back home. This place would become your home. We would make doppelgangers to take your place. If you join us, and you know others that you think may benefit us, let us know. We really need stud males with all the Queens that will be created."

"Hmm," Toshimichi thought. "I might have an idea for you."

"You...do this? You join?!" Tsuneo gaped.

"Why not?" Toshimichi shrugged. " _I'm dead, anyways. I'll live longer, stay with some family ,and, possibly, get a girl that will finally suit my tastes. The pros outweigh the cons to me. I was never happy with what I was doing. Father may finally be brought to heel, too._ "

" _I just don't understand why you would side with the enemy!_ " Tsuneo argued.

" _But...who is the enemy now?_ " Sakuma countered lightly. That got his brother to pause. " _Yes. We are all allying with something Hell-bent on destroying humankind. Or is that the main goal? What do we know? All I know is that I'll live through it with a woman that was made for me at my side. From what I understand, the Empress was made to be sentenced to death. Parts of her have been sent out for that purpose, too. Father had a piece of her in his lab! He was making clones using Hikari's DNA! I don't know who the evil one is anymore._ "

" _You're not serious!_ " Toshimichi hissed.

" _I am,_ " Sakuma said. " _It was why Hikari called me. Granted, when I went out to see her, she was already dead. But, she was scared. She knew what was going on and could say nothing. I didn't expect her to die. She was also fucking the Commander in secret._ "

" _Ugh..._ " Tsuneo grimaced.

" _I know,_ " Sakuma agreed. When Robert finally appeared, he nodded to everyone there.

"Hello, asshole," Robert said to Hermes. His son grinned back at him with a wave. Dionysus laughed, since he said the same thing. "Yes, he likes to be known as that. Anyways, I used to be Commander Robert Harrison. Alex, Project Zeus to you guys, calls me Commander to piss me off. I'll tell you my story so you see how I fit in. All right?"

"Please do," Toshimichi nodded. He sniggered slightly at Hermes's smug look. Dionysus rose a brow and flicked a piece of rice at the fellow breeder male.

"Dionysus, cut that shit out or I'll have you cook dinner for Dana," Robert said lightly. Hermes cracked another wide grin with a small nod. Dionysus sighed and muttered to himself. "They're my kids. I can say that to them and get away with it."

"Really?" Tsuneo smiled. Robert nodded and got into detail with his story. As he talked about his history, if brief with the viral hive, the submarine bearing Alex and the clone came ever closer with the precious cargo it held. Isis and Osiris were on the submarine, and they would have it drop off Hermanubis and Sigyn at the island after they witnessed what was to go down.


	59. Chapter 59

The moment the submarine docked, Alex had Osiris and Isis transporting the piece of Agatha to the cell chamber. As he went to find his mate, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. She had bolted out of her bedroom, bowled over Robin, and she was dressed in her white camouflage suit. The look in her eyes was murderous.  _She sensed the clone._  She was in an instinctive blood-thirsty rage. The drones couldn't stop her from leaving her room.

"Back up," Alex growled out. The breeders with him paused at their mother's thoughts. They had never seen her like this before. All of her children were on a direct threat alert. Amaterasu gave out a seething hiss, as she protected Sakuma. Hermes went directly to Dana. Hariti had barred Ragland in the lab. Meret and Amunet had to protect their husbands, too.

"What's goin' on?" Bruce whispered to Meret.

"A threat. We have to stay here. I have to protect you. I can't fight this feeling," Meret swallowed. "It's from Mother. To protect and shield those weaker than us."

"Right," Bruce nodded. She was as naked as he was, but he understood that an instinct is something that couldn't be ignored. Steve was letting Amunet do what she needed to do. They even had their daughter in the room to be protected. The drones brought Ran to Sakuma and Amaterasu. His brothers were in shock at the beautiful girl, and she blushed shyly at her uncles. Even Eir was under protective watch in the lab with her parents. The other breeders, those that could move, were quickly barred away with various drones. They had to be protected. Osiris and Isis found themselves quarried up in a spare room. As much as they would have given into the urge to be together, they had to wait.

"My Emperor..." Hermanubis cringed.

"This is instinctive in your mother. Don't fuck with her," Alex warned. "I knew that stealth clone bitch was with us. I just didn't do anything."

"You knew?!" Sigyn gaped. They wanted to stand by him, but the drones were already pushing them into a hallway to protect them.

"Yes. Your mother needs to kill her. She has to," he nodded. Agatha turned to glare at him with a form of profound hatred for allowing such a thing to appear. "You need to evolve from this bitch, too. I know this. Trust me. I missed you very much."

She took in a deep breath and nodded. She missed him, too. _If he felt that I needed to kill this abomination myself, then I'll go with it._  As much as he wanted to see her pissed off, he knew this was important. Then he blinked when she went into her own stealth mode with her tentacled hair in full effect. He wasn't going to tell her what to do.  _She would simply know._

The breeders and drones couldn't sense the clone, but she could. The beating heart the clone had definitely held a tiny fraction of a piece of her within it. She used that link. She curled her lip back and darted after her prey. The clone was heading for the cell chamber. She was lured there by Agatha's pure cells. Agatha's main part was also there, but it was now under glass to protect it further when the mental alarms went off. Just as she reached the room, Agatha dropped the camouflage and seethed out her hatred directly at the clone.

"I know you're there. Drop your stealth. Now," she demanded. "I am the Empress. I am Project Hera. The true project. You. Are. Nothing."

"I was told that I was Project Hera," the clone said, as the stealth was dropped. The smaller, sleeker form in the black suit showed a far more refined body like the others. Her face, like the others, was a distinct form of Lynette's, but held a touch of Agatha's stern look. Her black hair was bound back in a tight bun, but it was only hair. The traditional Japanese brown eyes seemed to cringe at the more powerful form in front of her.

"Lies," Agatha hissed. Her hair was still its tentacled mass and waving about wildly with rage. "You are an offshoot of me. An abomination! You are a disgusting waste of flesh. I am going to enjoy ripping you to pieces and consuming every part of you."

The clone shouted and leapt at her in a form of self-defense. She was hoping to dodge the tentacles and get a direct hit on the body before leaping away. She was made for stealth attack. To be swift, strike true, and fall back. A solid assassin. What she didn't plan on was the tentacled hair to become the protective spiked wall in front of her. Unlike with Alex, the spikes were smaller and far more condensed. They were made to be lethal instead of providing a form of solid defense. The clone was in mid-swing. She couldn't stop.

She screamed, as she actually impaled her arm on a spike. She tried to jerk her arm free, but the spikes were already becoming tendrils again to pull the clone closer. As the tentacles got under the black suit easily, the clone gave out a harsh gasp.  _I was going to be violated!_  The rest of the armored clothing was simply torn off and tossed away. She shouted with rage at the intruding tendrils, but they were only getting into her body to start tearing her apart from the inside. There wasn't going to be any pleasure.

Agatha gave a cold grin, as her hair coiled around rest of the clone's body to completely smother her. As the false project screamed and fought to no avail, a sick snap of bone was soon echoing through the cell chamber when her wounded arm was broken in half. That forced a blood-curdling scream from the clone. Then, to shut up the clone neatly, a tendril jammed itself down her throat to invade her internal organs there.

Alex watched the dismemberment with his own form of cold satisfaction. After a while, he actually found himself in awe.  _The tentacles were forcing the clone to suffer. They were acting a touch vampiric by draining all of the fluids from the body. Various ones had drilled holes into the chest cavity to slowly gorge on the blood directly from the veins._  When the body was finally lifeless, the tentacles consumed everything but the heart for her to eat by mouth.

"Remind me to never piss you off this badly," Alex said with an amused smirk. He paused mid-step at the glare he got. Much like him after his kill with the last clone, she was in a savage killing mood.  _It was time to be the cautious mate._  "You did well. I am very pleased. You are my true equal. That thing was nothing to you."

"The others are dead?" she asked with a bit of an edge in her ethereal tone. Her tendrils had actually started to clean up the floor of blood. They wanted every bit of the intruder.

"I have their hearts. Do you want them now?" he asked.

"In the bedroom," she nodded. "I'll eat them there."

"They are in there now," he said with a gentle smile. "I did miss you, Hera."

"Zeus..." she finally swallowed with a small whimper. The relief that he was alive and in front of her finally showed in full.  _Now she was safe to approach._  He walked up to her briskly, pulled her close, and kissed her with a passion that could barely be ignored. He hugged her and rocked her with a heavy sigh. She was just happy that her Emperor was back.

"Did you want to merge with the piece of yourself that we brought back?" he asked. He lightly stroked her hair while it reformed. He squeezed her to him even more when she pressed herself even further into his form. She was smothering herself with his scent, and he was all too happy to help with that. It was almost at a point that her hair started to try and wrap around him, but he continued to help her keep focus by running his hand over and through her strands of hair.

"Yes. I did. Before I gain your eggs," she whispered.

"Over here," he nudged her to a corner and lifted the protective glass. The moment they approached the tank, her hair became the tendrils again to pull the piece of her close. She snapped her head back in a trance, as it merged within her hair. Alex kept her in his protective embrace the whole time. Ten minutes later, she shook her head and was livid all over again.

"The father. He raped me first..." she said with a hard and seething hiss. His eyes widened with disbelief.  _Sakuma's father tried to breed with that piece of her?! After using his daughter's DNA?!_ He narrowed his eyes.  _Of course, it wasn't truly her that was touched, but the memories were so severe, much like the first piece, that she thought they were hers._ "They tried to make a full clone with that piece of me! He tried to do things to me to make me breed! When it couldn't be done, he started to rip me to pieces!"

"I'll have Sakuma spoken to. We'll see what he wants to do," he growled. "He should be the one to speak with his father first."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I brought his father here. He's on the submarine," Alex said. He wasn't prepared for her to bolt out of his arms. He didn't expect her to run to the submarine. However, he did expect her children to stop her with their own mental cries of concern.

"Mother," Hermes winced. He was standing in front of the submarine. "Let Sakuma speak with him. Please?"

"He touched me!" she snarled.

"The piece of you, yes. He did," Dionysus nodded. "But, he didn't actually touch you. Remember what happened when you merged with that first part of you? The memories you saw? They aren't fully your memories. Remember?"

Apollo moved over to Alex to let him get a sample of blood and see the memories. Alex was livid, but he thought over everything rather hard.

"Why do you stop me?!" Agatha growled.

"Talk to Sakuma first. Or at least let us do this for you. Please? He is helping you with Queens. It should be his decision as to what happens. Trust in us," Dionysus urged. The other breeders reached out to her to voice the same concern. She shivered with control, but Alex was at her side to hug her. He needed to calm her down.

"As much as I hate it, too," Alex nuzzled her. "listen to them."

"I just...feel...so..." she trembled hard. He kissed in such a gentle way that it finally broke her savage mood. He picked her up in his arms and walked back towards their room.

"Don't bug us for an hour. Maybe two. Bring the mother back to life. Talk to her with Sakuma and his kin. Figure something out," Alex muttered, as he walked. The drones picked up everything to relay to the hive link. The orders would be carried out in full. In the bedroom, Alex was able to bring his mate to a rather needy and intense climax. Her clothing was on the floor. Much to their pleasant surprise, Alex's clothes had finally managed to join them. He was strong enough to remove his clothing at long last. They seemed to slide off him at his will and would likely do the same when he wanted them back on. It was like he peeled off a small layer of himself. He would know how to do it when it had to be done again.

"They'll merge back with you?" she smiled at the sound of his panting breath.

"Yes..." he grunted. The sensations he felt with her were new and exciting. At the feel of her hand running up his chest, he shouted at his orgasm. She was just as deeply affected by his viral skin against hers. She was also very amazed at how strong he had become. When they stared into each other's eyes, they knew that no other would ever be able to replace the other.  _No other King or Queen would ever come to par._

"Zeus..." she sighed. He ran his mouth up her neck to hear her gasp.

"Hera," he muttered in the growling voice she loved. "We'll find out how many bases are left. I'll fuck them all up. Osiris should be able to find me a detailed list. We'll get blueprints. Diagrams. The whole fucking nine yards. Whatever we can to fucking finish this and make you whole."

"Okay," she whispered breathlessly. The next two hours were spent in a pleasuring bliss of lust and bonding on a much deeper level than either of them expected.


	60. Chapter 60

The shot of Agatha's blood was given to Sakuma's mother without further delay. The blood completely regenerated the fracture in the woman's skull and repaired any broken tissues. Sakuma and his brothers watched calmly in the lab. His brothers were granted a small pass to be there, as their mother was getting healed. When she opened her dark brown eyes with sudden alertness, Sakuma was there to help her sit up.

" _Mother? Are you all right?_ " he asked gently.

" _Oh, my head!_ " she hissed. " _Where is he? Hedeyasu? Your father? I remember that he struck me! I was...getting him the tea he wanted..._ "

" _Father is currently sleeping in isolation,_ " Tsuneo said. They had moved him from the submarine to the holding chamber. " _We all need to speak. Can you focus on what we need to say? It's important. Father's life is at stake now._ "

" _Is it? I mean...I know he did not wish to strike me down as he did..._ " she shivered.

" _It should never have happened,_ " Sakuma muttered. " _It wouldn't have happened, if I was there. I suppose that everything gets up to this point in the end._ "

" _I don't think we can let Father go, anyways. He'll end up killed,_ " Toshimichi sighed.

" _You are all here? Oh! Where is Yasunori? Is he here, too?_ " she asked.

" _No. He's dead,_ " Sakuma said bluntly. " _So is Hikari._ "

" _You...you're not joking. Are you?_ " she cringed. " _How did they die?_ "

" _Are you alert?_ " Sakuma asked carefully.

" _Get me some tea, and I will be,_ " she nodded. A cup of green tea was now given over by Hariti with a small nod. The woman was amazed at how stunning she was.

" _Her head fracture is fully healed. Her brain tissue has fully regenerated,_ " Hariti said with flawless Japanese. " _We are very pleased with the results._ "

" _Good,_ " Sakuma smiled warmly.

" _Head fracture?!_ " his mother gaped.

" _Yes. Father almost killed you,_ " Toshimichi said. She paled. " _He would have caused brain damage if you did live through it._ "

" _Even I am in shock,_ " Tsuneo sighed. " _But, you are well now._ "

" _All right. Let me explain what is going on,_ " Sakuma said. Amaterasu brought him a chair, and his mother's jaw dropped. " _Ah, yes. This is my wife, Amaterasu._ "

" _A pleasure,_ " she beamed.

" _Your...wife...?!_ " Asuna gaped with shock. Amaterasu nodded respectfully and stood behind her husband. " _Do you have children?_ "

" _One daughter. But, she is not normal,_ " Sakuma said. " _You will meet her after I explain a few things to you. Ah, just in case we need to speak with others, do you have good English?_ "

" _Not really,_ " his mother admitted.

" _That will change. She did get some of Mother's blood,_ " Amaterasu giggled softly. " _It does more than any would expect._ "

" _We'll test it when the time comes,_ " Sakuma nodded. His brothers were in shock, but they let him explain what was going on in full. After an hour, he finally sat back and let her makes sense of everything. She was completely speechless. She was also heartbroken.

" _What will happen to Hedeyasu?_ " she asked softly.

" _That is what we need to find out,_ " Toshimichi said. " _We don't know if he will do this again. Our Father is a brilliant man, but he holds a lot of darkness in him. He claims that he upholds honor. After what he did to you, I feel he no longer has it. He raised us to trust in ourselves, and to do what is right. Mother...what I will tell you will hurt you. Part of his experiment was to try and breed with it to see if an offspring could be produced. He took part of this first. He willingly tried to see if it was true._ "

" _NO!_ " she cried out and trembled. " _That is a lie!_ "

" _It is not,_ " Sakuma swallowed. " _There are medical records that are proof. He was dishonest to you. Even though the experiment was not human, he treated it as though it was._ "

" _Mother was able to rejoin with the piece of herself that he violated. She wanted to kill him outright. My brothers and sisters were able to stop her to allow you the chance to see what you wanted to do. If you want him to be killed, he will be killed. We will claim his body into our fold. We will make duplicates of his form to fool the public and retain all of his memories. You will be offered a chance to have a man worthy of being with you._

" _Yes, you will assist us in making Queens. You will become one with an honorable status with us and remain safe. Your sons, Toshimichi and Tsuneo, will be given the same choice. They have been given the same choice. If they do not join us, they will die,_ " Amaterasu whispered softly. " _Yes, Yasunori and Hikari were killed. However, if you wish to see them, we do have their faces, forms, and memories with us. It will be as though they were still with you._ "

" _The ones that took them..._ " Asuna swallowed. " _they are not single?_ "

" _No. They have proper pairs. The ones that took over Yasunori are a mated couple. The female took over that guy he liked. So, in a sense, you can treat that one like a woman,_ " Sakuma smiled. " _It's not that they hated what he liked to do. It's just...Yasunori was not useful. He would not have found any female created for him appealing. And Hikari was being dishonest by sleeping with the Commander she followed. Yes, she did. Her DNA was also to be used, but it was not, thankfully. Father used her DNA for his own purposes._ "

" _I think I would like to speak to Hedeyasu on my own,_ " Asuna said softly. " _I want to know his thoughts in his words. This Empress...may I speak with her?_ "

" _It is not safe right now,_ " Amaterasu said with a smile. " _She is with our Emperor. In another hour, she will meet with you. Take this time to rest and recover. Now, that is interesting! You seem to be getting younger._ "

" _I am?!_ " Asuna blinked. Sakuma looked at his mother with scrutiny. Then with surprise.  _Amaterasu was correct._  His mother was becoming youthful right before their eyes. Agatha's blood not only cured and regenerated, but it was a youth elixir, too.

" _I wonder how it would work if two humans with Mother's blood would be together,_ " Amaterasu thought aloud. " _If it should turn out that way._ "

" _That would be an interesting thought,_ " Sakuma agreed. " _If it gets to that point, we will see. Won't we? Until then, we can have something to eat._ "

"Ran! Come back here!" Karl shouted, as he chased the girl into the lab. "Um, sorry. She wanted to see everyone. Ah, I'm Karl. I'm destined to help her."

"It's fine," Sakuma smiled. "Ran, what have I told you?"

"I know," she pouted. Asuna blinked at the beautiful girl. "I just wanted to see Grandmother! Um...I'm sorry..."

"It is okay," Asuna nodded and gestured to hold her. "How old are you?"

"I'm nine days old!" Ran beamed. The woman's jaw dropped. Amaterasu now explained how Queen's grew. Even Sakuma's brothers were amazed.

"A day in one year?" Toshimichi asked with wonder.

"Yes. It's how Project Hera formed, too," Sakuma nodded. "When Ran is grown and with her King, I'll be able to get Amaterasu pregnant again. It's the only way it works."

"Dana will be giving birth in three days," Amaterasu chuckled. "She has only been pregnant for six days now. It's a month in a day for pregnancies."

"I am unable to say much," Asuna admitted. "I still want to speak with Hedeyasu."

"You will," Amaterasu nodded. "Rest for now. You will speak to him soon."

"I should now," she said. "So he sees me like this."

"I have an idea," Sakuma said. " _Can we set up a dinner table in that room? If we can get Yasunori's face and form with us to eat with us, we can do that. Same with Hikari. The room will not be the same, but we will all be together. We can shock him with the truth. If he feels he does not wish to live with us, then he will die. Not much we can say after that._ "

" _It does hurt to think that way,_ " Asuna shivered. " _But, he almost killed me, too. I don't think he meant it. I want to know for sure._ "

" _Then let's go. Amaterasu, you may need to stay behind with Ran for now. I'll have a few scouts with me to keep me protected. My Father cannot do anything,_ " Sakuma said.

" _I would rather protect you,_ " his wife frowned.

" _You can protect him?_ " Tsuneo blinked. Then his mouth dropped, as her hair transformed into black tentacles. At her narrowed gaze, she gave a small smirk.

" _More than you know, human,_ " she said with an icy glare. " _I will not let anyone rip me apart from him. Whether ally or enemy. I will never allow it._ "

" _Dearest, please remember your manners,_ " Sakuma said softly. She looked at him and nodded elegantly. When her hair settled back down, he chuckled and got up to squeeze her. " _If you can convince our daughter to let Karl care for her a bit longer, then you can protect me._ "

When she looked over at Ran, the girl blushed and nodded. Their daughter wouldn't argue in this. Karl now scooped her up and took her into the schoolroom to play a few games with her. That would help keep her preoccupied. A wheelchair was brought out for Asuna to sit in. She finished off her tea, and more would be provided in the confinement room. She was now wheeled in by Sakuma. He noticed a round table was bolted in. Chopsticks were set around various china plates and bowls, but they were not bolted down like the buffet table was.

" _Let's find our seats,_ " Asuna nodded. She was settled at the back. Sakuma sat next to her with his wife standing behind him in stealth. Tsuneo and Toshimichi were quick to find their seats. A drone was given Yasunori's blood to become a temporary form, and it showed them how it changed into their former brother. Even the drone of Hikari was there to show what it was before changing. As much as their mother trembled, she knew it was for the best this way.

The wake up medicine was given to their father, as he slept deeply in a cot. While they waited for him to awaken, various drones came in with tempura battered fish, sushi, grilled eel dishes, and various other plates. Steamed rice with teriyaki sauce and soy sauce was set about next to them with bowls of egg fried rice. Fried eggrolls and takoyaki dishes were next to be brought out. They were simply overwhelmed with how much was delivered to them.

" _What...is that smell...?_ " their father muttered, as he sat up wearily.

" _Dinner. Come and eat,_ " Asuna said. She was eating a few of the rounded takoyaki balls that were filled with octopus and squid. He sat up wearily and noticed he was still dressed in his suit. He blinked and tried to recall where he was.  _We stopped for gas for the limousine, and my driver had to use the bathroom. Then I was taken to the submarine after the driver got back._  He didn't know his driver was taken over when he left the older man's sight. He did find it odd how his driver knew where to go, but he didn't question it.  _Then I had some tea, and I lost focus after that._  Now he gaped with shock.

" _I was drugged!_ " he hissed.

" _Yes. You were,_ " Sakuma nodded, as he ate. " _Now come and eat with us._ "

" _Sakuma?!_ " he asked with surprise. Now he saw who was at the table. He blinked at the sight of Hikari and Yasunori, but he didn't know they were drones. Clearing his throat, he got up and realized that he was in a metal chamber. When he pulled back the curtains along the wall, his jaw dropped. Toshimichi gave a small smile and tucked into a large piece of tuna roll.

" _Are you not hungry?_ " Asuna frowned.

" _Asuna..._ " Hedeyasu whispered. " _You're...alive? You're all right?_ "

" _I almost died, apparently,_ " she said. She was still focused on her plate. " _Why did you strike me down? I want to know._ "

" _Must we discuss this in front of them?_ " he asked with a slight frown.

" _But, of course! They are our children. And...if you do not answer in front of them, then you will have nothing to say to me. I will say nothing to you, unless they are present. So, come and eat with us. Tell us why you did what you did. I am trying to keep everything peaceful,_ " she said calmly. " _Your life is already hanging by a thread. Explain yourself._ "

" _A part of my project went down. A portion of my life's work was destroyed,_ " he said.

" _So was the rest of it,_ " Sakuma nodded. " _The base you hid from everyone. It was completely obliterated. The island base is no more._ "

" _WHAT?!_ " he gasped and fell on the bed to steady himself.

" _You were also dishonest to me,_ " Asuna whispered. " _You gave yourself to that thing. Willingly. How can I forgive you now that you gave yourself to another?_ "

" _I have done no such thing!_ " he argued.

" _Even if it was not truly human, you allowed yourself to become attracted to it,_ " she said bitterly. " _And you took your anger out on me in the end. I...don't know if...you still love me..._ "

" _Asuna..._ " he shivered. " _When everything happened...I vowed to make things right to you. I had no idea that I turned on you. I had no desire to harm you!_ "

" _But...you did, Hedeyasu. I gave you four children. And, you not only betrayed me with this experiment, but you also did the same to give me Hikari from another woman. I knew you were unfaithful. But, I still loved you. I still wanted to be with you. Despite all of the hurt you put me through. Despite all the other small abuses you put me through. And now...what am I supposed to think? Do you still want to be with me? Do I have to worry that you are going to harm me again? I have so many doubts now! I was brought here to be cured, and I was cured. My age is reversing, too. What are your thoughts now?_ " she asked. At the talk of regeneration and youth, his jaw dropped. He studied her appearance and found himself shaking. Tears started to fall and he gasped.

" _I am not worthy of you,_ " he swallowed.

" _Father,_ " Toshimichi started, but Sakuma rose up a hand to stop him. Even Tsuneo was glanced at to keep quiet. Sakuma rose up from where he sat and walked over to his father.

" _There is much that has happened now,_ " Sakuma said carefully. " _I can see that you do love Mother. She still loves you, too. But, in order for you to live, you need to vow that you will NEVER treat her with such shame and disrespect ever again! Even you taught us that such a thing held no honor! You need to take your own advice._ "

" _I know, son. I do. This is a base?_ " Hedeyasu asked.

" _It is. I live here with my wife and daughter,_ " Sakuma nodded. " _I can tell you what I know. It will take some time. But, if you refuse to aid us, then you will be killed. There is no other option. Even my brothers will have this problem. Yasunori and Hikari are already dead._ "

" _They are right here!_ " he said. The drones stood up and approached him. Then they became their true forms. He shook hard with complete amazement and shock.

" _Yasunori's preference as a partner made him of no use. As for Hikari...well...she betrayed us by sleeping with the man that was to protect her,_ " Sakuma said softly. " _She let herself forfeit her own life._ "

" _I see..._ " his father glowered.

" _That Commander is also dead,_ " Sakuma nodded. " _Let me tell you what I can._ "

" _Very well,_ " his father said with a tired sigh.

" _Come and eat with us. I'll explain as you eat,_ " his son said. He let his son lead him to the table and pile up his plate. As delicious as the food was, he couldn't fully focus on eating. He was in too much shock of what transpired behind his back. On learning that breeding was clearly possible and how it worked, he dropped his chopsticks. When Sakuma spoke of the specialized breeders, Amaterasu dropped the stealth. She had her hands on her husband's shoulders, and Hedeyasu was simply stunned at how beautiful and elegant she was.

" _How...is she so...?_ " he whispered.

" _Amaterasu is my wife. She was made specifically for me. She was formed from my subconscious thoughts,_ " Sakuma said. " _She is my equal in life._ "

" _We have doubts about you,_ " his wife whispered. " _Do we let you remain with your wife? Do we kill you to take your face and form? Or do we let you separate from Asuna and give you a female that will keep you in line? We are unsure of how to take this situation. We have not had one male and female of a human pairing with Mother's blood. Yes, it is Mother's blood that causes this reaction in others. We do not simply give it out. If you decline our offer to join us, you will be killed. If you accept, you will receive a shot of Mother's blood to keep you from getting infected and to live longer. But, you will be helping us achieve our goals._ "

" _And what are your goals?_ " the older man asked.

" _At this point, it is simply cementing our places in society. Either through taking over the lives of others, or by blending in as new neighbors in a working class environment. We are not exposing ourselves yet. Right now, our key goal is to find all of the pieces of Mother. She needs them back to become fully whole. Whether you help us or not, we will do what we can,_ " she said. " _You violated our Mother. The piece of her given back retained the memories. She wanted to kill you. Our Emperor was forced to stop her. My brothers and sisters did, too. She will slaughter you, herself, if you decline the offer to aid us._ "

" _I admit,_ " Hedeyasu sighed. " _I had vowed to make things right, if Asuna survived. That I was going to make her the new focus of my life. If you let me live...I will help you. I want to see to her safety. I'll do what I can to make her happy._ "

" _There is only one rule with us,_ " Amaterasu said gravely. " _All humans get one chance. Just one. If you betray us, no matter how slight, you die. If you say you are done with us, you die. It's just one chance. It is all we will give you. If you want to help us with her, then that's fine. We shall arrange a chamber for you and Asuna. She may even start getting pregnant again, but do remember. The children born from her may not be the same. If it is another Queen, then our Mother will birth her a King and they will be sent away. Or there may be no children to speak of. We will have to see._ "

" _I understand,_ " he nodded. " _And what of the two of you?_ "

" _They need stud males. I had an idea of how to help them. So, I will stay and help,_ " Toshimichi nodded. " _Tsuneo? What do you plan to do?_ "

" _Well...if everyone is going with this..._ " he started. Sakuma rose up his hand.

" _What do YOU want to do? What is in your true feelings?_ " Sakuma asked.

" _I'll help,_ " Tsuneo nodded. " _Should we both make Queens?_ "

" _If you know of a way to help us get viable stud males, then that should be fine,_ " Amaterasu nodded. " _Mother is almost ready to see you all. Let us finish eating._ "

" _Very well,_ " Hedeyasu nodded. Now he was able to see his wife gaze at him from across the table. She was finally able to look at him. He wanted to hug her. To hold her close. He'd get his chance to do that later. As it was, he was a bit excited on seeing what the true finished project looked like. He also knew he was on thin ice until he cemented himself in their fold. He had to bide his time and prove himself worthy to their cause. If he wanted to keep his life, and the love he nearly lost, he had no other choice.


	61. Chapter 61

Agatha was livid that her tormentor wanted to help. She hated it. Even as Alex pressed his nude body against hers, he could feel the anger that came off her.

"What is it, Hera?" he muttered against her neck.

"That  _human_  wants to help us..." she growled. He looked at her oddly.

"How?"

"He is willingly offering us his services to be with his wife. Of course, I have no idea how my blood would react to two humans being together. I suppose we'll have to find out. Amaterasu is trying to console me, but it's just...that fucker raped me!"

"He didn't touch you. He touched the piece of you."

"It was still me, Zeus!" she cringed. "Didn't you say that you would help me kill whoever touched me?! That you would help me gain vengeance?!"

"Hera," Alex said with a darkened gaze. She met that gaze easily as his equal. Any others would have cringed and backed down. Not her.

"Zeus," she growled.  _There was only one way to win this battle._ She cried out when he suddenly took over her senses neatly.

"Listen to me," he whispered roughly in her ear, as he took her. "If he fucks up once. Even once. No matter how slight. He's dead."

"But...I..." she gasped and shouted at the stab of pleasure he gave her.

"You have my fucking vow!" he snarled and gave a sharp bite to her neck to send senses spiraling out of control. "Just relax. He may know secrets to other bases. I'll have a drone get a sample of his blood before he takes yours. I'll interrogate the fuck out of his memories."

"Okay..." she gasped. He finished with her soon after and crushed her to him. He thought to the hive mind and let the drones inform the others of what was to come. Even as the blood was taken in and he studied the new memories, he was very concerned over his mate. _She had this intense killing mood ever since she destroyed the clone._ He had her eat the hearts that awaited her just a bit ago, but he knew that most of the mood she had was from Hedeyasu being alive. _If I left her alone now, she'd force herself to get up to slaughter him._ On knowing this, he decided to not leave the bed. He needed to be with her to keep her calm.

Ragland was very curious how Agatha's blood would work with two humans being together. Once the shot was given to Hedeyasu, his body started to change drastically. He got younger, taller, and healthier all at once. The blood completely transformed him back to how he looked in his early forties. The man was in complete shock.

"Would it be possible for me to meet the finished project?" Hedeyasu asked. Even his English was flawless. His two sons were in the process of getting injections of blood now.

"Do not call her a project," Robert said. He had introduced himself when they found the lab. "Her name is Agatha. From what my kids tell me, she's extremely pissed off at you. You raped her. Even if it was just a section of her, the memories of it were saved."

"I see..." Hedeyasu frowned. Asuna sighed and shook her head. It was going to be very hard for her to forgive him, too.

"So, you are dangling on a thread. I think that thread is tied to your balls right now," Robert chuckled. "As you know, I'm Agatha's stud. There was a lot for me to accept at first, too. I told you all of that on the way here. Just stay calm and do what you're told. If Agatha decides to meet you, I'll have a few of my kids around you to help keep the peace."

"I brought it on myself," Hedeyasu agreed. "But...how could I have known?"

"I know. So, like I said. Just do as you're told," he advised.

" _My body feels stronger!_ " Tsuneo gaped after the shot.

"Start to talk in English," Sakuma advised. "You need to get used to it. Yes, we can speak our native tongue, too, but you need to get used to it."

"Oh. Right," Tsuneo nodded.

"We don't know who will be contacting us next," Robert said. "If anyone hears Japanese talk, there will suspicions. Granted, I can speak and understand any language from Agatha's blood. It's weird. But, around here, stick to English. Anyways, have you decided what you want to be? A stud male or one to help make Queens?"

"I think that..." Tsuneo faltered. He clearly didn't know.

"I will make Queens," Toshimichi said without a second thought. "I also know how to help get stud males. I would like to discuss that at length at some point."

"Follow me," a lesser drone of Aden said to him. He nodded and rose up to follow.

"Where are we going?" he asked, as he followed the drown down a hallway.

"My Liege wishes to speak with you. So, we are going to see him. He is currently with our Empress. The others were not to know," the lesser drone said. Toshimichi's jaw dropped.  _I was gaining an audience with the projects, themselves!_

"They wish to speak with me?!" he asked to make sure.

"Yes. Show your respect. Or you die," the drone said in its cold tone. He paled and nodded. "My Liege is always busy. My Liege always has something that needs to be done. He is interested in what you have planned. He is with our Empress, but he wants to know what you have in mind. If it works, he may want to start on it right away."

"Of course," Toshimichi nodded again. When he walked into the meat locker, he paused at the sight of the corpses hanging up. He recognized that a few were humans. He cleared his throat and gaped at the sight of Robin glaring down at him with a dark-eyed and neutral expression. After a moment of silence, Robin nodded at a mental command. The drone flexed its overly sized arm and chest muscles before moving aside to reveal the door.

"My Liege awaits. Do not disappoint him," Robin warned. "I am of the elite guard. I will not hesitate to crush you. Go inside."

Toshimichi swallowed, but he walked into the newly revealed entry. The sudden shock of wealth stunned him. At the sight of who was on the elegant bed before him, he paused again at the shock of what he saw.  _How could a woman be so impossibly beautiful?! Her face was perfection! Her body was seamlessly well-proportioned!_  Despite how pale she was, he knew that this was the finished project. When he saw her belly swell, he came to.

"Hello," Agatha nodded. "I am Project Hera. You may call me Agatha. In time, I will meet your other brother and your mother. As for your father...well...I'd rather he gets killed. But, we'll see what happens. I am most curious about your idea for stud males."

"So am I," Alex growled from where he stood by the bed. He had dressed and had his mate dress in her toga for now. He was able to neatly blend in to the darker canopy cover behind the bed from his clothes alone. The merest glance from his sky blue eyes made Toshimichi incredibly weak in the knees. _This was the Blacklight Virus. Project Zeus. There was no other explanation._  Toshimichi knew that nothing was a match against this thing. "Now that you're here, talk. Now. Before I think you are wasting my time."

"Nonsense!" Agatha snorted and poked his side. "You called him here. You are wasting your own time. So, you can shut up and sit down. He'll talk when he's ready."

Alex grinned at her with a chuckle and did as she said. Toshimichi realized that they were truly equals.  _And they would likely kill to protect each other._  When he noticed they were both waiting for him to speak, he cleared his throat and said, "Yes! My idea! Sorry, I just feel a touch overwhelmed. I was not expecting to be meeting with you."

"That's understandable," Agatha smiled softly. "Did you need anything to eat or drink?"

"I think I'm good," Toshimichi nodded. Sakuma was able to walk into the room to sit with them. He was there to help his brother gain some form of mental support.

"Toshimichi would like to see about making Queens," Sakuma said calmly.

"That would be wonderful!" Agatha smiled. Toshimichi paused at how his brother was treated. _It was as though Sakuma had a higher ranking._  It made him feel a touch jealous.

"How is Ran doing?" Alex asked.

"She's doing well!" Sakuma chuckled. "Karl is with her right now. Amaterasu will be joining her to help her play."

"Good," Alex nodded.

"What is your idea?" Sakuma asked. A blond drone walked in to serve some tea to him. Amaterasu was always reading her husband's thoughts.

"Oh! Um, well..." Toshimichi ran his tongue over his lips. "The Japanese military is always one to carry out orders. No matter how severe. I was thinking that we set up a program. Single males only, obviously, but that they know what they are getting into. Not the full thing. Just enough that they may never see any family again. Permanently put into hiding."

"No," Alex said. "The way I see it is this. While your idea does bear some merit, these men would need to be tested. They have to know how to survive. What I was having Osiris do was send batches of men to the quarantined island. The survivors would then get caught by Hermanubis and Sigyn. Then they are given the choice to either join or die. The cell you were in when you first got here is a containment cell. That's where many make the choice."

"Hermanubis, Sigyn, Osiris, and Isis are still here," Agatha shrugged. "They were preparing to leave, but they wanted to make sure all was well."

"Get Osiris and Hermanubis," Alex muttered. Within a few seconds, both breeder males were there. They nodded to Sakuma respectfully and gave an odd glance to Toshimichi.

"When you gain a wife, you will be treated like me," Sakuma smirked. "It's why I have more of a foothold than you."

"So, that explains it," Toshimichi blinked.

"That it does," Hermanubis grinned. He tightened his pony-tail and neatened his black leather shirt. "Anyways, I like testing the survivors. I gained my Father's love for the hunt. It's ingrained in me. Osiris is a bit of a tactician."

"And a horny fucking bastard," Alex snorted.

"You know it, my Emperor," Osiris grinned. "I'm the one that gained Commander John's figure in full. Any others you see are likely drones that gained the cloned bodies of him. It's the same with Isis, my sister and mate, being that of Hikari."

"You...are with your sister...?!" Toshimichi asked. He didn't even catch how Isis was his half-sister. He'd be reminded of it later.

"Project Zeus and Project Hera. Ring a bell?" Sakuma grinned. "And I mentioned it before. You didn't believe me, did you?"

"Well..." Toshimichi faltered.

"What the fuck ever," Alex growled. "I would prefer to send in teams of Japanese soldiers. Give them the idea that it's a suicide mission. We don't say what it's really about. Just to collect samples for various projects. The Hunters are getting larger. I do want to know why."

"It's because I keep killing them," Hermanubis shrugged. "It's an instinct factor from their hives. That much I do know."

"I just had the most fucked up and brilliant idea," Alex said with a wicked grin.

"Oh?" Agatha asked. He now reclined into the bed to let her rest against him.

"Hermanubis, I'm gonna give you one fucking hell of a challenge," Alex mused.

"Give it to me," Hermanubis grinned. He was itching with excitement now.

"I want to know how many bases are left. Then I want to trap a Hunter for each base," Alex grinned. "The ruse worked rather well for Japan. We should stick to it."

"I'll see what large motherfuckers are roaming the place. We do have a transport ship now," Hermanubis thought. Osiris was now making plans to have drones infiltrate wherever a base was located. On thinking through all of the new memories he was able to acquire, he smirked. Walking up to Alex, he offered his wrist.

"Take blood from me, my Emperor. I need you to see my memories directly," Osiris said. "There is simply too much for me to say. I know you could think on what you already have, but just trust me. While I have what I need to say fresh in my head, you should get them quite clearly to see what I'm thinking about."

"Fine," Alex nodded. The blood was collected and now he thought. "Interesting. Okay. The first piece that we acquired was from Site Ten in New Mexico. The base we are in is Site Nine, as we know. The one in Japan was Site Three. We have seven more bases to go after."

"Do you know where they are?" Agatha asked. "Oh! I see. My side of the hive link is able to tell me now. But...that's very strange..."

"You're right, Mother," Hermanubis thought aloud. "You can feel which direction your pieces are. Now that you have two pieces back, you can actually detect where the bases are truly hidden. Can't you? I can't really feel anything, but, can you tell where the closest piece is now? What area do we need to go to first?"

"Get me a globe of the Earth," she said. Alex had a drone do it for them. "The next closest that I feel is...just about...here..."

She traced her finger from where they were to the Amazon Jungles in Brazil. Alex rose a brow. Osiris was a bit surprised. He knew that a base was there, but she seemed to pin-point the exact location. Toshimichi was trying to make sense of what he was witnessing.

"You and I should go talk to Robert," Sakuma said to his brother. "We need to plan for stealth. We may be able to use Father's connections for this."

"Right," his brother nodded. They got up and left to give the others time to plan.

"That's Site Seven," Osiris said. "What would be the other close one? We can tackle that area next. Do you have an idea?"

"Yes. Here," Agatha said. She moved her finger from New York to Germany. Alex mused to himself.  _They would clearly go after the jungle first, since it was closer. After they got the two closest pieces, they would go after the furthest ones away._

"Catch a Hunter. The biggest fucker you can find. I actually recall that the Hunter was trying to get into the base. We could use it as a blood hound to find Agatha's part," Alex grinned. "You recall how the guards kept it back? It was trying to kill off everything before attempting to get in."

"I think you have a point," Osiris nodded. "I do know that this particular base is underground, too. They wanted to keep the natural foliage around to keep from being seen in the air. We can probably jump down, but we may need to escape with whatever means they have from the inside. Think we can manage it?"

"Fuck yes, we can!" Alex grinned. "We'll have a few drones as backups. We'll need to prepare, though. To pass the time, we'll see how Japanese soldiers can fair for survival."

"I'll head back to the island. You going to give me a lift, Osiris?" Hermanubis chuckled.

"Sure. We have to ready the transport ship for a Hunter, anyways. Or at least get a Hunter ready for the ship," Osiris nodded. As he left the room, he paused to see Isis there in the doorway. She was unaffected by the freezer, but she was done with waiting.

"You're fucking my brains out first!" she snapped. He grinned wickedly, hauled her over his shoulder, and took her to an empty room. When Hermanubis saw Sigyn glancing at him from just beyond the freezer, he glanced over at Alex with a small roll of his eyes.

"Fine. Right after they give birth, you should be able to head back," Alex smirked. When they left for a room of their own, Alex let his mate continue to snuggle him. He knew she was worried. "Everything will be fine. We'll get those pieces back."

"Who knows...what they did to them..." she cringed. "Zeus...I also feel that one is in Russia. Russia! Who the fuck knows what they're doing there?! And I can feel that there is also one in China! What else can go wrong? More clones of me? More attempted rapes of my parts? I just...I don't know...! And with seven pieces...all the memories...of their abuse..."

"Hush," he whispered and kissed her. "All of them will be rescued. All of their prisons will be demolished. Every living thing there will die. I kept my vow to you. If there are clones, I'll give you the hearts. I will always keep my vows to you. You know this."

"I know I do..." she whispered back. He let his clothes peel off of him, and he removed the clothing she wore. He didn't feel like doing anything else right now. Even as Kim appeared with several platters of variously cooked Hunter heart and meat, he reclined easily. He was in a rare form of contentment.  _A plan was currently in motion._  He was going to relax and wait.


	62. Chapter 62

Hedeyasu hated what he had to do. He wasn't planning on good Japanese soldiers to be sent to their deaths. He also knew that, if he didn't do it, then he was as good as dead. Before agreeing in full to send off a message to the officials, he wanted to meet the projects. Asuna felt that it was very dangerous and risky of him to do.

" _I do not think you should,_ " she said softly. They were in a claimed set of personal quarters now, so it was safe for them to talk normally. It was fashioned with various Japanese furnishings. Much of it was exceptionally hard to get, but Sakuma wanted to pamper his mother a touch. Even the others agreed to this. Hedeyasu sat on the black floor couch and regarded her gravely.

" _I should at least talk to them at length. I need to get an idea of what to say. If I just request for a bunch of soldiers to go, they will want to know why. I am just a scientist. No more than that. What more can I ask?_ " he frowned. At the knock on his door, Asuna rose up to answer it. She paused with surprise at who it was. Nick was at the door with its claws out.

"The two of you are to follow me. I am of the first generation of drones. I am part of the elite guard. My Empress and my Liege wish to seek audience with you. My Empress would be here, but she is pregnant with eggs. She cannot move. Follow me," the drone said. Hedeyasu was quick to get up from where he sat. He went to put on his suit, but Asuna shook her head. The woven silk kimono of dark blue was enough. She was wearing one with deep red and gold trim. Nick snorted at them and led them to the bedroom. Like the others, they gaped at the meat locker. Then they paused at the sight of Robin. The drones nodded to each other, and the couple was let in. They were amazed at the wealth in the room.

Hedeyasu found himself staring at the flawless perfection of a woman in the bed. At the size of her swollen belly, he was in even further shock.  _She was able to breed._  She was dressed in a white toga and reclining against Alex. He had an arm around her to help keep her calm and slightly restrained. He could feel her tense, and he squeezed her to show all was well.

"Hello," Agatha nodded. "I am Project Hera. Please call me Agatha. My mate is Project Zeus. You can call him Alex. Now that my blood is merged within the two of you, my children can hear your thoughts. Just enough, that is. They let me know what was going on. I will speak with you both at length. Ask what you wish. I will answer if I can."

"You...are the finished...?" Hedeyasu was still in shock. When her pastel blue eyes narrowed with hatred, Hermes had uncloaked in front of the bed. As he told Dana before, he still had the ability to do this.

"Mother," Hermes said gently. "It's all right now."

"Hush," Alex whispered to her. "She's extremely...upset. She will likely never forgive you. If you fuck up, your spine will be used as her new set of chopsticks. Got it?"

"Of course..." Hedeyasu said and paled quite visibly. Asuna sighed, shook her head, and walked over to Agatha's side. Settling down in a chair, she nodded to her respectfully.

"Thank you for saving my life," Asuna said gently. "I know my husband has done you a great dishonor. I will ensure that he does not repeat the same mistake."

"Even though it was not me that he touched, it was still a part of me," Agatha shivered. "It will be hard for me to cope with. Did you know what was to become of me, if I completed my mission by killing Alex? No? Let me tell you how it all happened."

"Please," Asuna nodded and gestured for her husband to sit down. He did so without a second thought. When Alex glared at him, he cringed and looked away. Hermes had to return to Dana, but several drones appeared to help and serve them. Alex continued to hold his mate, and he rubbed her belly when it swelled. As Agatha spoke, Hedeyasu was now able to see the tentacles that held eggs with various developmental stages. He was simply amazed by it all. On hearing what Leopold did to her with the cryo tube, he snapped his attention back to her.

"I evolved off of that small piece," Alex grinned. "and that's how we got to where we are now. Anyways, I'm sure you know we need stud males for the future Queens. I don't know what will happen if the two of you start fucking."

"If..." Asuna blinked.

"My mate is...crude with his talk," Agatha chuckled. "It's the way he is."

"I understand," she nodded. "I am just not used to hearing such talk."

"Get used to it," Alex snorted. He glared at the small jab Agatha gave him. "Fine. I'll be nicer. Only to her. As for him, he has to prove his worth. He can fuck off."

"Alex," Agatha growled.

"I will not shut up or curb who I am. I won't swear at her. I will swear at him," he growled back. "Until he proves himself, he's lower than shit to me."

"It is fine," Hedeyasu said with a shaky breath. "I understand."

"I don't think you do," Alex said with a glare. "But, if you really want to prove your worth, get me a list of names that you think will be suitable stud males. Highest quality. Highest standards. Those with no families or relations will work best. And, since you haven't gotten right onto that, I want to know why."

"It is a lot to ask of me to sacrifice good men," Hedeyasu admitted. "I know it will be done. You don't have to worry about that. It's just a sudden thing for me to do."

Agatha now looked at Alex with a small smirk. _He was showing hesitation._  Alex now turned to look at Hedeyasu with a critical glare. Asuna seemed to shiver. Then she paused at the tentacle hair that gently wrapped around her. Agatha cocooned her to speak with her privately. Alex was surprised that it was quite sound-proof. He decided to let them talk, and he kept a glare on the man. He liked watching him squirm.

"We are both troubled women. What do you think should be done?" Agatha asked.

"I am honestly unsure," Asuna shivered, as tears fell. "We have both been betrayed. A part of me wishes to give him another chance. The other feels that he will slip again. He is trying to show more affection to me, but I keep falling back into an old habit of serving him."

"Do you wish him dead or to stay alive?" she asked.

"I would not wish death on anyone. I would need to consult with my family. As much as I wish for him to live, I fear that I cannot simply live with him any further. I do love him. But...I no longer feel safe with him."

"I understand," Agatha said warmly. "I can possibly make him a suitable female. In secret. If you can live with him long enough for the eggs to be made, I can see about getting a male egg for you, too. Your sons will need females of their own. But, we badly need stud males. We are short one stud for a current Queen. It is imperative that we get a decent line-up. It's why we need the soldiers. If they can survive on the island, even for a little bit, it will prove their worth. It's very important.

"The Queens, even myself, cannot make breeders without the studs. We will just make drones. We have one solid stud male by the name of Karl. You met him while he was watching Ran. He is destined for Eir, the doctor's daughter with Hariti, but he could also go to Ran, if the need is there. He is currently the one that watches over them both while the others are busy. We also have another by the name of Frankie, but we have him working with various training rooms. He developed a rather useful ability with his eyes. As much as we want him to be a stud, he may be able to gain a Queen just for this. When he's free of his training, he helps watch the Queens. We have three young Queens right now. With only two possible studs..."

"I see," Asuna mused. "Of course, not just any will work."

"No," Agatha said. "They must be worthy."

"And I would agree. Hmm. I never really had any visitors or friends. It was rare for me to get acquainted with others. I just did all of the serving."

"As I figured. We could go with any human, but we like having those with survival skills. The more the better. Their abilities would be passed into the hive."

"Tsuneo knows a few men," Asuna mused. "A couple are single. Very good standing. They are not soldiers, but they are very loyal to him and my family."

"I will trust anyone you suggest," she nodded. "What do you think of the eggs?"

"I say to do it. I will play along as the faithful wife. I will monitor his actions. Should he prove himself to me, then maybe the eggs will not be needed."

"We will need to be careful, then. The eggs develop quickly. As soon as tomorrow, even," Agatha chuckled. Her belly swelled again, and she winced. "Drones are just as fast, you see? And I have drones right now. They will be birthed in another three hours. So, he has three hours to prove himself to you before the proper breeder eggs are created."

"We will see what Hedeyasu will do. Another woman may be better for him," Asuna said softly. "I feel that I am no longer suitable to him."

"Have the two of you been together yet?"

"No. He...he won't even touch me..." she trembled. A tendril managed to carefully give her a comforting caress. "I will try to allure him. If he ignores me, then I will know. I feel that he will make me afraid of him again."

"Asuna, there are no more reasons for you to be afraid of him. You can trust in that! If you need assistance, feel free to talk to Isis. Even my other daughters. They may be able to help you. Actually, go to Amaterasu! If what you try does not work, she can help you," Agatha smiled. She withdrew her tentacled hair to let it reform. Alex looked at her questionably, but relented at her nod.  _She would tell me shortly._ On gazing at Hedeyasu, she said, "Contact who you must to get a group of soldiers to the island. Start with a group of ten. We can work up from there if it is a success."

"Very well," he nodded. He looked at his wife and seemed relieved at her smile. He was able to lead her out to their chamber. When he left, Agatha relayed the entire conversation to her mate. Alex was quite thoughtful about the whole thing.

"If they fuck and manage to produce something, then fine. If they don't, the breeder eggs will severe them. A female will definitely kick his ass into line. I have a scout drone in their room. If something happens, I'll know," he said.

"Good," she nodded and snuggled into him. "She may talk to the others of what we discussed. She likes to have her family console her."

"As do you," he smiled warmly. He kissed her and let her get served by Kim. In Asuna's room with Hedeyasu, she was troubled. She wanted to be with her husband. On thinking over everything, she pursed her lips.  _I have to take the initiative. If my tactic fails, then I will see what Amaterasu could do for me._

" _Hedeyasu,_ " she started. He was sitting on the floor couch, and he looked over at her.

" _What do you want of me?_ " he asked. He looked tired. He was upset over what he had to do. She got up and rested her hands on his shoulders.

" _I want to be your wife,_ " she said softly. " _Talk to me. You never talked to me after the children were born. You kept me sheltered. But, you also refused to let me in. I know you did dangerous work. I know it stressed you. I did everything I could to help you. Don't cast me aside. Let me be your equal._ "

" _Be my equal? How? If we try to have children, they may end up leaving us. If I don't do what I said I would do, then I will die. I feel like I am responsible for so much..._ "

" _You do not find me attractive?_ " she asked.

" _That's not it at all!_ " he said quickly and faced her. " _I am just afraid of what will happen now! To any children if we are able to produce them!_ "

" _How can you know if it has never been tried?_ " she countered. He paused now. _There was a fierce glimmer in her eyes that was never there before._ Agatha's blood fueled her. She was becoming independent of him. It had him see her in a completely new light.  _She was always subservient before. At my beck and call. She was too afraid to voice her fears in front of me. Now she had no reason to fear me. She was offering to be my equal at last._ As he continued to realize this, she continued, " _So what if our new children will be different?! It just means that we won't have to care for them for most of their lives. They can take care of themselves!_ "

" _You're right,_ " he blinked. Now she looked at him with surprise. " _Let me make a couple phone calls. Is there a bathtub in here?_ "

" _There is,_ " she nodded.

" _I think we could both use a bath,_ " he mused. " _A hot one. With none to disturb us._ "

Now she blushed, and he smiled. As she busied herself with that small chore, he pulled out his cell phone to call an official and make use of a favor.  _I did want samples of the Hunters. I could see about making them genetically larger and stronger. Maybe even faster._ He wrote down a few notes in his cell to remind himself of what to do later. He would discuss things at length with Ragland.  _I may even be able to convince a training arena built in the base to test the Hunters._ Once the calls were done, he set the phone down. It was time to get to know his wife again. She had changed into someone that could not only serve him, but could easily talk back to him at his level. It was very different of her. He liked it.


	63. Chapter 63

It had been only a matter of time for Frankie to be told that he was going to head back to the island. He had been doing intensive training for his new sight. It was time to put it to the test. He had to help find the largest Hunters possible. Tissue samples needed to be collected and studied. If a small one could be caught, it would be injected with various strains to see what happened. Hermanubis may even see about setting up a special lab at the hospital. He could use the hive mind easily to stay in contact with Hariti. Hermanubis and Sigyn wanted to head back to the island, anyways. A submarine was easily used to help with that, and it was needed to help transport any testing Hunters back to the base.

"Glad to be back?" Hermanubis grinned.

"Nope," Frankie said.

"You don't like to play with the Hunters?"

"I don't like to partner up with you."

"Why not?"

"You're an asshole."

"You were, too."

"I know. Never said I wasn't."

"And I'm not the real asshole that you have to worry about. Hermes is the dedicated asshole. Anyways, I'm itching to find something to kill. Sigyn says that she spotted a hive nest about to release the next batch of Hunters. If we go now, then we can get the pick of the litter. I'm just glad that my Emperor agreed to let Sigyn and I return right after we had sex. She made it back to the hospital just before her growth stage hit," Hermanubis sighed. "There's just too much for us to do right now to wait."

"Osiris and Isis are going to wait?"

"Yep. You think he's going to pass up a chance to fuck his mate whenever he wants? He'll be fucking her until she gives birth!" he snorted. "Anyways, Sigyn says we need to head southwest. The hive is there."

"So, the old hives don't have what we need?" Frankie frowned.

"They have the small Hunters. We need a couple of the large fucks. The new hives give those out. We have drones already tagging about three small Hunters rather easily. They're being drugged up and shoved into the submarine. The ones we find are going to the transport ship. Of course, we are supposed to wait for new Japanese recruits."

"For what purpose?"

"Stud males. With your new talent, it may be easier to just give you a viable female."

"Hmm. I actually liked the idea of being a stud, though. As much as I'd be sharing a girl, I think the talent I have would be best with breeders. Then they can benefit with the drones they make. I don't know if I'd call myself an idiot, but that's what I think," he shrugged.

"No, you're definitely on to something," Hermanubis said. "Who would you become a stud for? And don't say my Mother, the Empress. I'll be forced to kill you."

"No!" Frankie said with a quick shake of his head. "After what happened with Gary, are you nuts?! I was thinking Frigg."

"Really?" he grinned.

"I like cute blonds," Frankie shrugged. That got the breeder male laughing. "She's taken a liking to me, too. So, it's pretty apparent that I'll be helping her. Anyways, southwest? Where did we appear? North?"

"Yeah. No way for the submarine to get to the south side. There isn't a dock. So, guess what?! We get to haul those fuckers all the way back! Just you and me!"

"Fuck. You."

"Aww, c'mon! It will build character," Hermanubis grinned. "But, don't worry. That's what the drones are for. You think I would have a viable breeding stud, or even myself, do manual labor?! You're out of your mind."

"Drones were made to do the dirty work, anyways. Do I even get a rifle with a decent scope to snipe with? Or do I just have to play scout?"

"I do the tag and bag. You just tell me where to go," the breeder male nodded. "There is something odd, though. It sort of baffles me."

"What does?" Frankie asked, as the drones cleared a path for them.

"I think, because I'm the hunter of the group," Hermanubis thought. "breeders are only supposed to have one style of attack. I actually have two."

"Really?" Frankie mused.

"Yes. I have the claws that my Emperor loves to use. I also have his whip," he smirked. "I found that out when I tagged that helicopter a couple days back. To get the false bitch."

"What do the others think?" he asked, as he hopped over some debris.

"I think, the more valuable a breeder is, the more powerful they become. I've been working rather closely with my Emperor as much as I can. I'm evolving, but at a much slower pace. If I had Mother's camouflage skill, I'd be a true menace to society. But, I lost that. Or...did I? I never consumed another to get their flesh. Wait. I did. A soldier to get close to various targets in the bases. Yep. I lost that little skill."

"Can you release that form to regain the camouflage?" Frankie asked now. Hermanubis paused and blinked at that. On thinking to the hive collective, it was now going to be tested.

"It will now be tested," he grinned. "Thank you."

"Anytime. How far off are we? Never mind..." Frankie said when a high-pitched, blood-curdling, roaring scream echoed towards them. From three miles away and closing, he saw what made the sound. The drones had already begun to lure the biggest Hunter they found towards them to save travel time to the transport ship.

"Do me a favor," Hermanubis said and took out a plastic spray bottle. "This spray bottle has a nice little cocktail of sleeping drugs and poisons to stun it. Mist it over my claws, please."

"Sure," Frankie grinned. He sprayed over the breeder male's claws until they were dripping. Now Hermanubis grinned and bolted towards the Hunter that bore down on them. The massive thing was five meters larger all the way around from the one that Frankie saw before. Hermanubis leapt up, as a clawed hand smashed down, ran up the muscled arm and dug his claws right into the back of the Hunter's neck. It roared and screamed before suddenly falling into paralyzed heap to the ground.

The drones surrounded it to secure it. The same thing was done to the next Hunter. It was like clockwork. When Hermanubis thought to Sigyn, she said she needed help. That had him completely alarmed. He narrowed his eyes.

"Sigyn needs me. Stick with the drones!" he snarled. Frankie was now completely concerned.  _What happened?!_  As the drones swarmed to protect him, Hermanubis was rushing towards his lair at top speed. He was pushing his body to the limit. When he got to the highest building near the hospital, he searched the surrounding area. Sigyn was too pregnant to do much. He had to protect her. On thinking to the drones, he soon had a swarm in the hospital. There were plenty in there, anyways, but he wanted it to be a bitch to get into.

It was when he heard gunfire that his attention was diverted.  _Sigyn was safe, though._  He glanced over at the sight of a cryo tube appearing to reveal Alex coming out of it. His Emperor was quickly at his side to help him assess the situation.

"Your mother is pregnant with breeders. I have five hours. What the fuck is going on?" Alex growled. "She sent me here to help."

"Good," Hermanubis nodded. "Sigyn said she needed help. She caught movement in the cameras. I heard gunfire northeast of the hospital."

"I think the Japanese arrived. And I think they are all going to get fucked up," Alex seethed. "Hmm. How many Hunters were taken down?"

"Two."

"Lure a third one here," he grinned. "We'll sit back and watch the show."

Hermanubis laughed softly and called out to the hive mind. Frankie was seen being delivered to the hospital to keep him safe, and the breeder male told him what they talked about. Alex was fine with him being a stud. He was amused at the thought of regaining the camouflage. On hearing the enraged Hunter chasing down a squad of drones, they both leapt over to watch the scene unfold. As Alex watched the Hunter finally make its way over, the Japanese group of ten men opened fire on it. They just pissed it off. Massively.

"I wonder how many are going to scream 'Godzilla!' and run around shitting their pants," Hermanubis mused. Alex started laughing at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Whoever survives has what it takes. Well, there's one down..." Alex sighed when a man screamed before getting slammed into a wall with a massive swipe. "Now...he has balls..."

"Who?"

"One of them is taking a stand. With a rocket launcher," he smirked. "Ah. Now the Hunter is just irritated. Missiles can't do shit to them now. The smaller ones, yeah. These larger ones are practically nuke proof."

"But not viral proof," Hermanubis grinned wickedly.

"Ooh...that one died..." Alex laughed softly at the sight of another man gutting trampled. "Okay. Let's show the kiddies how it's done."

"Whenever you're ready," he nodded. "I still have enough painkillers and drugs on my claws to put it down. Or did you want to kill it?"

"If it dies, no big deal. If it lives, it goes to Brazil," Alex nodded. "Brand it with an iron to show the location it needs to go. Right on its fat ass."

"Will do," the breeder male nodded. Now they both ran down the side of the building and leapt in perfect coordinated synchronization. The surviving men gaped with shock at the two supposed men landing squarely on the monster's back and tearing into it with their bare hands. The drugs were far too potent, and the Hunter fell to them quickly. When Alex gave a seething glare at the humans, they readied their weapons.

" _I wouldn't do that,_ " Hermanubis warned them easily in Japanese. That made several of them falter. " _We just saved the lot of you. And you want to kill us?_ "

" _You are not human!_ " a man scowled.

" _If you attack us, you will die. As quickly as we took care of this thing,_ " Hermanubis responded. Of course, his words fell on deaf ears. The sounds of various weapons being ready to fire was easily heard. Alex looked at the breeder male and smirked. Scout drones had already camouflaged right up to the men. All of them were quickly knocked unconscious. All but one. It was the same one that used the rocket launcher. The man heard the scout in mid-swing, turned quickly, and blocked the hit. He didn't plan for Alex to get right up to him within seconds. As much as he wanted to gut the man open, he was impressed.  _He heard a scout approach him. That was not an easy feat to do._

"I'll take that," Alex muttered and took the gun while the human was busy fending off the scout. The soldier now looked at him with shock, and the scout backed down. There was no need for it to attack now. "Can you understand me?"

At the panicked look, Hermanubis said, " _Be glad that Project Zeus didn't kill you. You must have impressed him. It's not easy to do that._ "

" _Project Zeus?!_ " the soldier gaped. Alex grinned and nodded with a touch of sarcasm.

" _Can you speak English?_ " the breeder male asked.

" _Not really...but...my troop..._ " the man whimpered.

" _Will live. The lot of you were picked to help us. We tried to get here before that Hunter found you. Sacrifices are inevitable. As unfortunate as they are,_ " Hermanubis shrugged. A white lie never hurt him. " _Just do as we say and you will live._ "

" _But..._ " the man swallowed. Alex snorted, looked away, and let one of his drones knock the man out. Hermanubis grinned a touch wickedly.

"He was fucking annoying! I understood him, but I don't give a flying fuck to talk like him. Just not my way. Get these sacks of flesh ready for the submarine. Drug 'em. I'll send the cryo tube back and leave with the submarine. Unless the cryo tube is used for more meat. That's fine," Alex nodded. "Let's go."

"Frankie will join you. I'll see how Sigyn is," Hermanubis agreed. They parted ways, the humans were collected, and the Hunters were now being prepped for travel. The three smaller Hunters in the submarine made it a bit cramped, but that was fine. It was time for the next phase of the plan to go into action.  _What can be done with three small Hunters and a shitload of drug tests?_ Alex couldn't wait to find out.


	64. Chapter 64

He let the drones take care of everything the moment the submarine docked. He went straight to his mate. He was a bit surprised to find Apollo sitting by her, but he realized that she only needed the company. She was still growing breeder eggs. At the same time, he noticed that she had been giving him quite a few innocent kisses. Much like a mother to a son, but it disturbed him.  _She hadn't done that to any others._ He even recalled how she did it before. Even as he watched her give one to Apollo now, the tiny peck to the lips stung his mental train of thought. When they were alone, he had to address the issue. Once he was settled with her, he sighed.

"Hera, what do you like so much about Apollo?" he asked.

"Hmm? Well, he's my son. Shouldn't any mother want the company of her children?" she shrugged. "What's the harm in that?"

"There is one thing that you're doing to him that you don't do to any others."

"What would that be?"

"This," he muttered and gave her the small peck on her lips. "Why do you do that?"

"Oh," she blinked. "I don't mean to do it. It's just another show of motherly affection. He's very protective of me, and he ensures that none of the others slack off when it comes to my care. Or to the care of others, if the need arises."

"So...you've never kissed him like this?" he grunted and kissed her feverishly.

"No..." she said breathlessly and kissed him back. "Just you."

"I know you care about your kids," he mumbled. "All breeders are important. But...for me...can you stop kissing him? I know that it's...innocent. But..."

"It bothers you. I will stop," she smiled. "He understands, too."

"Thank you, Hera," he sighed and hugged her tight.

"It's not your fault, Zeus," she snuggled into him. "I am quite hungry, though! Ah, can you tell me what happened while I eat? I know Hermanubis could tell me, but I want you to tell me what happened when you got there."

"I can do that," he smiled. While she was served up a massive platter of grilled elk, he told her about the Japanese soldiers that were now in the quarantined room. She was a bit curious of the one that was able to stand ground and hear the scout. At the news that Frankie wanted to be a stud male to Frigg, she chuckled at that. Her thoughts kept going to that one soldier.  _There was something strange about him._ "Hera? What's on your mind?"

"Those soldiers. Where did they come from? Especially that one recruit," she said.

"Why do you ask?"

"He's different. There's something...off about him. The others sound normal. As for that one...it's hard to pinpoint. There's something...familiar about him. I'm not sure how, exactly. Did you get a sample of blood from him?"

"They're still sleeping. We can get one now. In fact, I'll have a drone get some blood for me so that I can see that man's memories. Done. Okay...you're right!"

"He is different?"

"Very. He was part of Site Three. He was given a shot of blood from your weaker part. A number of men did, but they all got slaughtered. He was sent out before we got there. His personnel files must have gotten mixed up in the system. He wasn't supposed to have been sent out of the base. But, he did. He was stationed for basic military duties."

"I'm talking to Osiris. Okay, that makes sense. He found the personnel file and put this one in the group. Hedeyasu is now being spoken to by Apollo and Dionysus. You may want to know what's going on," she said.

"A drone is now there for me. I'm not leaving your side unless I absolutely have to," he snorted and pulled her against him. He let his clothing peel away to let her cuddle into his viral skin. Helping her eat, he kept a part of his awareness fixed on the drone.

"So, what do you think of the situation?" Dionysus asked. "Here's the file."

"Let me see," Hedeyasu said. Apollo and Dionysus were both sitting on the floor couch. Asuna had already served them some hot green tea with lemon. She was still glowing from what her husband did to her just moments earlier.  _I cannot get enough of her now!_  Clearing his throat to remove the thoughts from his mind, he went back to the manila folder. On glancing at the picture of the man, his jaw dropped.

"You do know him," Dionysus said.

"Yes. He was the first to receive the shot. He claimed that nothing had changed!" he said. "Hmm. Apparently, he may not have felt any different, but that was not the case. I'm not sure how he got transferred out. But, since he's here, I would like to speak with him."

"We figured you would. Did you want to speak with all of them? Or just him?" Apollo asked now. "It tends to be best to speak to them all as a group. They see how one reacts to the situation and it helps their judgment."

"As it tends to be the case," Hedeyasu agreed. "When can they wake up?"

"Just give the word," Dionysus chuckled. "It will take about ten minutes for them to be fully alert. Then we give them thirty minutes to regain themselves. After that, if you want to talk to them, you can talk to them. We'll have an escort of drones ready for you."

"Hedeyasu," Asuna said softly. "I want to know. How much blood did you give that man? Was it a lot? Or very little?"

"Oh. It was half a shot. Half an ounce. We didn't know what to expect. From what I'm being told, he held no fear in his stance and heard himself get snuck up on. Now that I think about it, even though it was half a shot, he had the most. The rest were given smaller amounts."

"Now I'm worried," Dionysus grimaced.

"About what?" Asuna asked.

"If he has a portion of Mother in him without her permission..." Dionysus started.

"She might kill him to get it back," Apollo finished. Hedeyasu's jaw dropped at that.

"We also don't know how Mother's true blood would work with him," Dionysus said.

"My Liege says to test it," a drone said when it dropped the camouflage. "Get a sample of blood from him now. Have Doctor Ragland put our Empress's blood in with it. Let him see what happens in a stabilized and controlled environment. We need to know."

"There was something else I wanted to know about you. As a scout drone from Project Zeus," Hedeyasu said. "It has baffled me."

"Such as?" the drone asked.

"From what I understood, drones like you could not camouflage..." he started.

"As our Empress has been birthing better drones, our techniques have also changed. As scouts, we are bred to infiltrate. To take over from within. Granted, when we first were hatched, such a thing could not be done. Now that my Liege is getting stronger, so are we. Those of us that have evolved have done so. To show that we come from our Empress, the ability to camouflage was given to us as a birthright skill. Even the elite group of drones from the first batch of eggs created continue to evolve to be better than the rest. They may even be able to have other skills now, but that is unknown. It may even be doubtful. When a new drone with better harness of its skill appears, the rest of the hive evolves with it. Only the ones of the elite group are the best ones suited to protect my Liege and our Empress.

"The breeders are always able to camouflage until they consume another. An idea has come to mind that it may be possible for a breeder to drop one that was consumed to regain the benefit of camouflage. Our Empress cannot take on the form of another. It is not engrained her. The breeders can, but only one main target," the drone said.

"But, we are evolving to be able to take on another. Much like the scouts, we can take over one for temporary effect. Then we claim the next as a prize. Hmm. I wonder if that's the key to it all..." Dionysus mused.

"To think that the prize is temporary to lose the form?" Apollo asked, as he glanced in the hive link. "I can test that. If any of those soldiers lose face with us, I can easily test it."

"Well, neither of us have tried to take over another human. Either of us could test it. If you want to, be my guest! The soldiers are being woken up now. A vial of blood was collected, and the doctor is now testing it," Dionysus said.

"I need to see the tests," Hedeyasu said. Asuna helped him rise up, and he smiled at her with a nod of appreciation. "I'll see you later."

"I'll have lunch waiting when you return," she nodded back. A kiss was pressed to her cheek, and he followed the breeder males out.

"My Liege would like to know if you are pregnant yet," the drone said.

"Oh! Well, I did speak with Dana some time ago. I was told that such a thing could take a day or two. We shall have to see. As we all know, it is unknown for how I will be. Hedeyasu is my husband and not a breeder," she smiled. It nodded to her and walked out the door. She did feel a touch warmer than normal, though. When she stopped to catch her breath, one of the breeder drones was quick to appear.

"Come with me to see Hariti, please," the breeder drone version of Kim said softly. "You may be pregnant. If not, then our Empress would like to know why you feel as you do."

"That's right. She can read my thoughts now. Okay," Asuna nodded. Then the room spun, and she got sick. Hariti had wasted no time to appear and help her. Hedeyasu was kept unaware. They didn't want him to lose track of what he was currently doing.

"We'll clean this up," Hariti chuckled. "and I think you're pregnant."

"You...you think so?!" Asuna gasped.

"I do!" the breeder female smiled. "We can do a quick ultrasound. If you're developing as quickly as the others, then you may be giving birth to a Queen in nine days. No known Kings were ever created. Mother always made them."

"True," Asuna nodded. Now that Hariti was tending to Asuna, Ragland was showing the first test of what would happen if Agatha's blood was introduced to the soldier's blood. Alex had to be there for this. He watched everything critically. One drop of human blood was put on the slide. It was set in a glass case where a robotic hand would take care of the next step. None of them knew what to expect. A drop of Agatha's blood was now carefully introduced to the slide. The explosion of glass from Agatha's blood becoming infuriated with the older strain in the human was the next thing seen.

"Her blood will kill him," Alex mused.

"I was able to get a recording before the explosion," Ragland said. The small encased section was coated with a fine mist of blood and glass. Dionysus gave a small whistle. Apollo now wanted to kill the human off. Alex was watching Apollo's reactions very carefully. He knew it was just the breeder male being over-protective. A part of him was still unnerved by the chaste kisses he was being given. That would take time to wear off.

He snapped his attention to the recording, as the projector displayed it on the screen. He watched how Agatha's drop of blood instantly moved to overpower the human drop. _It was rather aggressive in the take-over. Unlike other humans where it was a smooth merge, this was as though it was reclaiming stolen property. It was eating the other drop._ He could almost see this as the same way she had to reclaim the hearts of the clones.

"I don't want her to meet that man," Alex said bluntly. "She'll treat him like a clone."

"Do you think so?" Dionysus frowned.

"I do. It may not be intense right now, but I know that, if she gets close to him, she'll snap. Her blood drop ate that other one. Then it destroyed itself. I don't know why it did that. Either it wasn't compatible, or there was nothing else for it to merge with," he said.

"Like it didn't feel that was all of it," Apollo said. "That there was more. Then it...exploded in anger when it couldn't get the rest."

"Do you think that's what it is?" Alex asked.

"I do. Recall how Mother flung herself at the abomination. She had to claim it back. All of it. Even her hair drained everything. You may be right, my Emperor. She'll see the human as another clone, if she gets close enough to him," Apollo said carefully. "As of right now, he's safe from her. She has breeder eggs in her, and she's too pregnant to move."

"But, the moment she gives birth..." Dionysus paled.

"He's fucked," Alex winced. "Ragland, is there a way to remove her blood from him?"

"Let me see," Ragland muttered and prepared another slide. "Hedeyasu? I could use your help. Hello, Hariti! Did you see everything that happened?"

"From you, yes," his wife nodded. "I need the ultrasound machine."

"Oh? Ah! You think Asuna is pregnant?" Ragland chuckled. Now Hedeyasu dropped the slide he was preparing and gaped at his blushing wife. Alex smirked and took over where Hedeyasu left off on prepping the slide.

"We'll know for sure!" Hariti giggled and smeared the clear gel over Asuna's belly.

"Why is that so cold?!" Asuna shivered. Hedeyasu was still in shock. Even when the confirmation was shown on the screen, he still didn't know what to think.

"And the baby appears to be developing as quickly as the others. We'll do a sex test in three days," Ragland said. After Asuna was cleaned back up, she was given over to Hedeyasu.

"A baby..." he blinked.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Let me know what happens, please," Hedeyasu said slowly. "I need to take care of my wife. I feel it is needed."

"I did not prepare lunch..." she swallowed. "I got ill, but..."

"Do you still feel sick?" he asked.

"No. But, I am hungry," she nodded. The instinctive need to ensure her pregnancy caught him by surprise. He never experienced it before, but it was likely from Agatha's blood.

"I'll order something for us," he said.

"We'll tell you what happened," Alex nodded.

"Oh, before I forget," Hedeyasu said. "what is going on with those three Hunters?"

"They are in their quarantined chambers. We'll play with them later," Ragland grinned. Hedeyasu grinned back and thought again.

"I wanted to talk to that man," he sighed. "but..."

"We'll take care of it," Alex said. "If not us, then Agatha. We'll try to remove her blood from him. If we can't..."

"Better off sending him to work for Osiris," Dionysus said. "He can be a patsy."

"That's true," Alex mused. "Osiris just left though. Or did he?"

"Isis didn't give birth yet. So, he's still here..." Apollo grinned. "He could take over the man's mission. Change it up. Have Hedeyasu notarize the change to show it was approved, even. That would easily work in our favor."

"Have the paperwork done, and I shall sign where I need to," Hedeyasu nodded. He gave a small bow of respect to Alex and escorted his wife out.

"I like your style," Alex nodded to Apollo. Then he walked over to mutter in his ear, "I understand it's affection, but don't kiss your Mother anymore. Got it?"

"I already agreed not to," he gave a stern nod. "We didn't know it would affect you."

"Good. You're a good guy. Don't fuck it up," Alex warned. Apollo gave a small smile and nodded again. "Anyways, those guys were given the wake up drug?"

"They were," Dionysus nodded.

"Where is the Commander?" he asked.

"He was tending to the school to play with his granddaughters," Apollo said.

"Good. Keep him there. Any word from Cronus or Rhea?" Alex now asked.

"Rhea misses everyone, but she's fine. Cronus is bored as hell, but he's getting by. He knows his place. Their first batch of drones are almost ready to hatch. Same with a few of the breeder eggs they left here. Carlos is also doing well," Apollo reported.

"My drones have been keeping an eye on things, too. What other bases are completed?" Alex asked, as they walked to the quarantine chamber.

"The one near China is done. Same with the one by Japan. We got one being built near the United Kingdom. Of course, we need one near Russia. We thought that Italy would be another good site from all the water there. Egypt, Brazil and Africa were the other choices we had," Apollo said. "Of course, any others we can build effortlessly."

"Good. If we find any sunken treasures or artifacts, get Anubis and Bastet to sell them. Las Vegas would be a good front for a Black Market. You would think," Alex smirked.

"He wants you to send over anything that's found," Dionysus chuckled. "I need to tend to Athena. After she's done, I'll rejoin you."

"Don't bother. We may just have that guy go with Osiris. If he refuses, Agatha may have to kill him. We'll see what happens," Alex shrugged. They were almost at the quarantine chamber when the breeder male stopped in his tracks.

"My Emperor!" Apollo winced. "Mother just said that she needs Tsuneo and Toshimichi! They have to bond with their future breeders!"

"Fuck!" Alex muttered. "Quick! I'll meet them in there!"

"I'll send them!" Apollo nodded and sped off. Alex was back at Agatha's side to help comfort her. When the two men came in, they paused at Alex's protective glare.

"Just put your hands where she tells you. Back away when you know you're done," he warned. Tsuneo nodded and placed his hands on the top of her belly. Toshimichi was told to press his hands near her mid-right section. After the bonding was done, Alex's glare ushered them out. Dionysus would give them a nice pep talk later.

"I thought that Tsuneo would have become a stud," Agatha sighed. "Hopefully a good portion of the men we brought in will agree to become studs."

"If not, I'll kill them," Alex smirked.

"As for that one human that got my blood..." she said with a slight tensing in her tone, but Alex was quick to kiss her.

"Leave him to me, Hera," he smiled gently. "I'll handle him."

"I want my blood back," she said. "You know how important that is to me, Zeus."

"I know. Ragland will see about removing the blood. We could have him work for Osiris, you know. He could become a patsy-"

"Fuck. That," she growled. "That's  _my_  blood! If you don't get it out of him, then I'll remove it, myself! You know I have to!"

"We'll do what we can first," Alex said in a soothing way. She was clearly irritated, but he calmed her with another soothing caress in his tone. She sighed and nodded.

"I guess," she frowned. "We'll see what happens."

"That we will," he agreed. He smiled now, but his thoughts were frantic. Then his cold, hard reasoning came about.  _Let her kill the man. He was only human._  He smirked now and let time slip by, as Ragland ran his tests on the blood.


	65. Chapter 65

Ragland was disturbed. _I can't remove Agatha's blood._  Her blood had neatly molded to the man's genetic strand so permanently that it was impossible to detangle. If he tried to remove one strand of DNA, the entire blood drop simply died off. If they added more blood from Agatha to the droplet, then the same explosion happened. He tried a whole vial, and it was the same thing.  _The blood was irreversibly fused._

"Mother will end up killing him," Hariti frowned. "Unless..."

"Hmm?" Ragland looked at her. "You're thoughts are too muddled for me."

"We could have Mother carefully drain him, and we have a blood transfusion in effect," she mused. "But...it would be tricky."

"She would drain him faster than the blood could be removed. And I'm sure he's awake by now. I honestly believe that there isn't much that we can do," he shrugged. She rested a hand on his arm to show she was concerned. At his sigh, she nodded and helped him sanitize the equipment. "Then again..."

"Oh? You think his blood could be filtered out? Like they do with dialysis?" she thought. "I think that would be too lengthy to do."

"You're right. Just putting in the shunts, letting him heal..." he muttered. "It would take too much time. We could put him back to sleep and see if Agatha could try to filter it out, herself. Maybe she would have the ability to do that?"

"I'm asking Mother now," she said. "No. Her hair is made to consume. Not to release what was taken. My Emperor has convinced her to let him try and reason with the human. But, Mother will want her blood back. I think he may have to die. It's too instinctive for her."

"We would all think so, wouldn't we? There is only so much that we can all do. I ran every possible test that I could think of. There was only one test that I didn't try, but that could be very dangerous. It may form a new genetic strand."

"Don't do it," Hariti said carefully. "We cannot introduce my Emperor's blood to it. It's just too risky. If something else was created, it would be another thing for him to kill off."

"But, if his blood can pull hers out for us..." he started.

"No. His blood can infect, if he lets it. He's holding all parts of himself in. He only shares himself with Mother to create the drones. He does know what he's capable of. He's taken over enough scientists to know. It is just too risky to introduce his blood to another. He's so powerful now! Please...don't do it..." she shivered.

"I won't," Ragland smiled and kissed her gently. "The last thing we all need is a new viral strain running amuck here, right?"

She nodded and received another hug to fully console her. He still had another vial of the man's blood left. He gave it to her, and she nodded at what he wanted her to do. "Okay. I'll take this to Mother and see what happens."

"Come back when you're done," he smiled. She nodded and took the vial to the bedroom. The moment she walked in, Agatha scented the blood and hissed with rage.

"Give it to me," Alex said calmly. Hariti gave it over without a second thought. Agatha let a part of her hair become a slender tentacle. The moment the tip of it touched the top of the vial, the blood was sucked up. Not a single drop was left.

"Where is the rest?!" she snarled.

"Easy..." he whispered in his soothing tone. "You have breeders. Remember? You will get the rest in time. Rest with me. I'll have a nice, fat steak brought to you."

"Okay..." she swallowed. She was still feeling enraged, but Hariti walked over to put a hand over hers. Agatha smiled at her daughter and nodded at the thought of encouragement. When the breeder female left, Agatha sighed hard. Kim delivered the largest slice of Wagyu beef steak that they had, and the drone made sure it was cooked to absolute perfection. She was completely soothed the moment the first bite melted in her mouth. Alex even tried a piece and found himself amused at the rich texture.

"I'm going to go and talk the human. I was told he's fully alert. Dionysus, Apollo, Hermes, and Osiris will be with me. Hedeyasu should be there, too, as well as the Commander. We will get our answers. After we deal with him, we'll check on the three small Hunters. The three larger fucks are already being packed for shipping on the transport ship. The base in Brazil will be the next place that I have to go to," he whispered.

"I know," she smiled.

"No one can ever replace you, Hera," he muttered and nuzzled her.

"I know now that none of my offspring can ever replace you, either," she whispered and nuzzled back. "I am very worried about one thing, Zeus."

"What's that?"

"Hariti...says that...my blood is fully bound to the human..."

"I see..."

"Ragland thought of using some of your viral blood to pull mine out of him, but..."

"No."

"They know that."

"Good."

"It's too risky."

"I'd slaughter the bastard, myself," he growled. "Only you are able to receive any part of me. I refuse to give myself to another."

"And it will always be the same with me," she shivered. He kissed her and urged her to finish off her steak. The moment the plate was empty, he kissed her again and took the dish.

"I'll be back before you give birth," he nodded. She nodded back, and he left the room. At a glance to Robin, the large drone braced itself over the door. Nick was now there to help guard the outside of the freezer room. The breeder eggs were rarely touched now, and other drones were able to assist with guarding them. The elite guard had to strictly protect the Empress now. As Alex walked to the quarantine chamber, Osiris moved to walk behind him.

"Isis is almost ready to give birth. When she does, we'll leave our drones here," he said.

"Good. Don't fuck her until you get back to your home quarters. Where is the Commander?" Alex asked. "He should help interrogate this human."

"He's coming over with Hermes. Apollo and Dionysus are now here," Osiris nodded, as the other two breeder males showed up.

"We should just kill him," Apollo snorted.

"I know," Alex smirked.

"With no way to remove Mother's blood...I mean, what else is there for us to do?" Dionysus frowned. "We all know that Mother will hunt him down the moment she's able!"

"And that's why the lot of you are going to keep her busy. At least your sisters should," Alex muttered. "I don't want any of you fucking near her when she doesn't have eggs."

"Now...that's odd..." Osiris paused. "Mother is asking for me."

"What?" Alex glared at him.

"She..." he blinked. "My Emperor, go back to her. We'll wait for you."

Alex scowled, but he sped back to the bedroom. When he was going to growl at her, he stopped in his tracks.  _Something was wrong._  She was sitting up, panting hard, and clutching at her belly.  _She was already in labor?!_  When he was at her side, she clung to him and cried out. She was in too much pain to talk. Hariti was now in the room. She kept Ragland back in the lab.

"My Emperor! Help her!" she said with a grimace.

"What's going on?!" he hissed.

"Mother can't talk, so I'm here to help. It's one of the eggs! You need to pull it out! It's growing far too fast!" she hissed and pushed down on her mother's belly. Agatha screamed from the pain. Alex gaped, shook the sense of shock out and did the only other thing he could think of. He turned to instinct. Placing his hand between her thighs, he let his viral tissue carefully work its way into her. Agatha was now passed out from the pain, but he found the offending egg. He carefully managed to encompass it and extract it. On looking at it, he was in complete shock. He glared at Hariti to find out what it was.

"It looks like that human male!" he snarled.

"Wait," Hariti said carefully. "We gave her a vial of his blood. While she was likely birthing eggs after eating those hearts. Think about it."

"So...she birthed a clone of him..." Alex thought aloud.

"I don't think we should have Mother consume any form of blood while she is developing eggs from this point forward. What do you want to do with this thing?" Hariti asked.

"I'd say to destroy it, but I want tests run on it. A full fucking analysis. Get to it," Alex nodded. She took the offending egg to the lab. Alex watched her body regenerate just enough, and he cradled her until she woke up.

"What...happened...?" Agatha shivered.

"You may have given birth to a clone of that human," he mumbled. She looked at him with complete shock. He told her what may have happened and of the tests going to be run.

"So...one of the eggs meant for you...was wasted...on that...fucking human..." she seethed. "I want him dead!"

"All in due time," he said. "What I want to know is why you asked for Osiris."

"Because he was with you. I knew he would send you to me," she trembled. He used his thumb to caress her jaw and tilt her face to his. At the warm, tender gaze he gave her, she swallowed and let him kiss her passionately.  _She didn't want any others._ He knew this. She only reached for the breeder male with the hopes that Alex would be sent to her. He had no reason to be angry with her.

"I need to tend to that human. The moment I'm done, I'll come right back to you," he whispered. "At first I thought that you wanted Osiris over me."

"Never," she mumbled, and they kissed again. "You are my Emperor, Zeus. None will ever replace you. No matter how hard they try."

"You know you are my Empress. My one and only," he chuckled. "I'm going to have Aden in here from now on. The moment you show any pain, that drone will let me know. Eddie will install various cameras to help monitor your room, too. It can monitor you and the defenses that way. Nick is standing outside the meat locker. Robin will always be outside the bedroom door. Kim will keep preparing your meals. Let me deal with this human."

"Okay," she said. "Send Kim in with another one of those steaks?"

"Done," he grinned softly, kissed her again, and left the room. On approaching the other breeder males, Osiris sighed with a touch of relief.

"Sorry..." he shrugged.

"It's fine. Tell me what Hariti finds out," Alex said. "Your mother is pissed that she lost a viable egg for me. I'm pissed, too, but none of us knew what that blood would have done. Even then, I don't know if she really lost an egg. The clone may have just formed on its own. If that's the case, then fine. However, I refuse to let your mother birth clones. That thing was causing her far too much pain. No more of that!"

"We know that all too well," Dionysus agreed. Robert was filled in on what happened. Hedeyasu was even amazed, but he wouldn't let it get the better of him. Before they walked into the quarantine chamber, they saw that all eight men were awake. Alex was able to tell which one they needed to talk to. He glanced over at Hermes.

"Activate the sleep gas. Grab the fucker we need," Alex growled. Hermes nodded and thought to a drone. The gas was made to have a slow process to avoid suspicion. It took five minutes for the humans to fall asleep. Various drones went in, put the humans back into the beds, and Hermes walked in to pull the man they needed out. A tiny room made for interrogations was easily constructed. The man was bound to a chair that was bolted down. Alex watched outside the two-way mirror. Osiris went in with John's form on. Hedeyasu sat next to him.

As a traditional soldier, he was shaved bald. His eyebrows showed he had black hair. He did look rather slender, but he was exceptionally lean in his chest and limbs from constant training. He was kept in his white tank top and boxers, as were all other soldiers that made it into the base. They watched the man slowly wake up and blink his slanted, dark brown eyes. Now that he saw who sat in front of him, he paled. He recognized both of them.

"Can you speak English?" Osiris asked with a narrowed gaze.

"Little..." the man said.

" _I shall translate,_ " Hedeyasu said to him. "I'll translate for him."

"No. He will talk to me," Osiris glared. He knew how to speak Japanese, but he had to keep with the ruse that he couldn't. "I saw the footage of you going up against that Hunter. I saw you go up against Project Zeus. When I pulled your file, it showed that you were a part of an experiment. You got a shot of something. Do you remember that?"

"Um..." the man paused, as he tried to make sense of the words. Rolling his eyes, he gestured for Hedeyasu to talk to him. When the man nodded, Osiris grumbled.

"He does remember," Hedeyasu nodded.

"I figured he did," he sighed. "Did he notice any changes?"

"He felt stronger, but didn't admit it at the time," Hedeyasu said with a stiffened tone at the answer. "So...he lied to me about what happened."

"That he did," Osiris growled. Then he noticed something.  _The man understood him. He was lying about not being able to talk back._ "Fuck this. I'm dropping the charade."

"Already?" Alex grinned, as he walked in. Now the man paled even more. "I know you can understand me. Drop that fucking act right now. My mate's blood enhanced you. You'll talk to me on my level. Now. Or I'll rip off your fucking head."

"Okay," the man cringed. "I do understand your speech."

"Good," Osiris said and dropped John's form. The man's jaw dropped. "So, you lied about the experiment results. You lied about everything that happened to you since the shot of blood. You lied to me, to my face, about not being able to speak English. You're skating on fucking thin ice. My Mother wants to rip you to shreds. The blood you got is her blood. It was given to you experimentally without her permission. She wants it back. The only way she can get it back is by killing you."

"Her blood bonded with yours in a rather permanent way," Alex growled. "I don't like it. She considers it stolen property."

"The experiment helped me," the man said. "It helped me be better..."

"But, you did not tell me. Why?" Hedeyasu asked.

"You would have...run more tests on me..." he trembled. Hedeyasu shook his head.

"We tried to remove her blood from the vials we took from you. Everything we tried resulted in an explosion," Osiris said grimly. "You say that the shot made you better. How?"

"Braver in battle. Stronger. Hear better," the man said glumly.

"And you had the most," Hedeyasu sighed. "What do we do?"

"Agatha wants to kill him," Alex shrugged. "I don't want him near her right now. It's not safe. Keep him in here. We'll let her take him out."

"I can help you!" the man said quickly. "I will do all that I can!"

"So, you don't want to die?" Osiris asked.

"No!" the man whimpered.

"Well..." he said, as he looked at the file. "Fumio. If we introduce a new strain of our Mother's blood into you, it will be fatal. If we try to remove the old strain of Mother's blood from you, it will kill you. If you remain on this base, Mother will kill you to get her old blood back. Let me talk to her. Actually, my Emperor, you'd better talk to her."

"No need," Alex muttered. He was listening to what she was telling Aden. "The only way she will let him live is if he agrees to become a breeding stud male."

"That would be the only way," Robert said, as he walked in. "Let me talk to him."

"When the eggs are out of her, we'll test and see if she can filter out her blood," Alex said. "It's not safe to do it right now."

"Very true," Osiris nodded. "I need to see to Isis."

"Go," Alex nodded. Dionysus walked in to take Osiris's place. "He plans to leave with her when the eggs are out?"

"Yep! He has to return back to his headquarters to start planning the trip to Brazil. Apparently, Mother had more time to pinpoint where the next closest piece was. Germany is fairly close, but there is a base in England that's a bit closer. That's Site Five. The one in Germany is Site Two. Site Seven is in the Amazon Jungle, and it's the closest," Dionysus said.

"Fine. Ship the other two fuckers we tagged to Sites Five and Two. Keep them hidden near there and stabilized. We'll let them loose when we're ready to tackle them. Better to have them already waiting there in hiding than out in the open. After we tackle those bases, we'll take the furthest ones out. Can she tell what they are?" Alex asked.

"Not yet. Only the close ones," he frowned. "Hedeyasu, you need to talk to the other men in that room. Explain to them everything that is expected of them. If any of them decline, they get killed. No second chances. They either agree or die."

"I understand," Hedeyasu nodded. He left with an escort of drones. Hermes was going to watch them carefully to keep Agatha in the loop. She can hear thoughts better from her children than the drones. Apollo went with Hermes to help. Alex let Dionysus stick with Robert, and he left to go be with Agatha. In the next couple of hours she would give birth to breeder eggs. He had to be there to help her.

In the quarantine chamber, Hedeyasu was able to explain to the seven soldiers what they were doing in the chamber. Dionysus was able to further explain what was expected of the men. Apollo was there to slaughter any that declined. Much to their shock, they all agreed to join.

" _You all wish to assist in this?_ " Hedeyasu asked carefully.

" _We may as well. I, personally, have nothing to go back to,_ " one of the soldiers said with a shrug. " _I was homeless before joining the military ranking. If I was chosen to be a part of this, then I shall do what honor and duty I can._ "

On hearing this, and the likewise responses from the others, Hedeyasu now had an ingenious idea. He would have to go over it with Agatha and Osiris.  _We could see about recruiting the homeless. Other areas could have the same programs done. Most homeless lacked families and would be desperate to do anything. With proper tests, training, and nutrition, many could qualify as possible studs._ If females were brought in, he wondered if they could become like his wife to gain a viable breeder male.

Agatha caught on to his thoughts and whispered to her mate. Alex was now very intrigued. Osiris would make plans to set up recruiting spots and locations in each area a breeder pair was located in.  _If they found humans willing to give up everything, go through heavy training, and prove their worth or die trying, then they would do what they could to make it happen. They needed more qualifying humans. This could be a fool-proof plan._

"We'll let them get shots of your blood. We'll work on the other human with your stolen blood after the eggs are out of you," Alex said. "We'll figure something out."

"Okay," she smiled. He let her nestle against him to rest. It would be another two hours before she gave birth to the breeder eggs. Until then, he was quite pleased with what was going on.  _It was time to sit back and wait._ He will learn about the other soldiers in time and what they can do with Agatha's blood. _Maybe new skills would develop for them._  He hoped something beneficial would come forth.


	66. Chapter 66

The small hunters were being injected with various DNA strands from different animals with the help of dart guns. It was decided to use the best forms of DNA on the larger Hunters if the smaller ones showed definite signs of improvement in strength or speed. Elephant and gorilla DNA strands seemed to have the best effect, but only in short bursts.

As for the egg with the clone, it was just that. A clone of the man. Apparently, a clone could grow within Agatha, but it had no intelligence, hive link, or true function. It was just another body for a drone to take over. Alex decided it was a waste.  _Making one clone caused Agatha severe pain. We have various glass tanks for doing such a thing._ He made sure that it was destroyed. But, when they removed the clone, they discovered that the egg it was in remained whole. That caught them by surprise.

As a test, Ragland took some tissue from a drone and placed it in the egg. Another drone grew quickly, like the others, and hatched out. Much to their shock, the egg remained. It seemed to refill with the fluid within it. _It was a clone hatcher._

"That's...very interesting to know," Agatha admitted. She winced when her belly swelled again. She was actually much larger now, but they both felt that it was due to the empty eggs. "If I give birth to another empty egg, I would like that one tested to see if it's the same thing. Can we do that?"

"We can," Alex nodded. "You have about ten minutes, Hera. Are you feeling all right?"

"So far," she sighed. "Will you leave after these eggs are birthed?"

"I'll have to," he nodded. "The sooner we can get those pieces of you, the sooner we can focus on getting down to the rest of what we need to do. I honestly think that, by the time those bases are out of the way, we'll have every corner of the globe covered. That would be the time to come out of hiding."

"Do you think so?" she smiled.

"We'll have to see. And, if we start claiming homeless humans as viable studs with your blood to wipe out any diseases they have, we may be set in that area."

"And, if we take in females, we can have Queens created, too," she chuckled.

"That we can," he nodded.

"Oh," she blinked and frowned. "Cronus wants to come back here. Without Rhea."

"Why?" he growled.

"He's bored and overconfident," she muttered.

"Kings will always be a pain in my ass!" he spat out. "Focus on him and my voice. Okay? Can you do this for me?"

"Easily," she nodded.

"Cronus. You know who this is. Quit the bitching. You knew what you were in for the moment you hatched. You knew what your purpose was. You want to do something? Fine. Help Osiris figure out where to put a building for gathering homeless people in Australia. You can help test them to see if they can work as either breeding studs or viable females. If you come see your mother at any time, I will kill you. You know this. I know this. Don't. Fuck. With. Me. You have a problem with me? Talk to one of my drones. I can talk to you through it."

"He agrees to the testing. But, he may have to be put in his place later. Ah, never mind. The moment I said that, he shut up and apologized. I'm also having Rhea give him an earful, too," she grinned. "She knows what to tell him."

"Good. Because I  _will_  kill him if he comes to see you. Whether I'm here or not," Alex grunted. "He is no longer allowed on this base. His duty is on the Australian base only. None of the others are for him to visit. Hera? Ah. Okay..."

She had started to pant, and it signaled the start of her labors. Several drones were ready to help with the breeders. The special breeders were birthed first for Tsuneo and Toshimichi. Both were of flawless Oriental beauty in face and form. Amaterasu may even rival them, but that wouldn't matter. Agatha's beauty would always surpass them. Much to Alex's surprise, the breeder sets came to eight, but that was from the breeder females she just gave birth to. The surprise came from the eighteen eggs that were birthed next. All were empty. All were a touch smaller than the breeder eggs, but that was because of what they were.

The empty eggs were set in another specialized tentacle to keep them unharmed. An egg was taken to the lab to be tested. Once she was egg free and healed up, she rose up from the bed. Hermes was walking right into the bedroom to force her back down.

"Mother, he wants to be a stud male," he reminded her.

"What? Oh..." Alex sighed.  _She wanted to kill the human._

"I know. I want to see if I can filter out my blood," she said.

"Not with that killing mood I sensed from you," Hermes muttered. She swallowed and tensed. Alex pushed Hermes away and pulled his mate close.

"You will need to focus on pulling your blood and leaving his alone. Did you want to test this with another vial?" Alex asked.

"I probably should," she nodded. Hermes left to head to the lab. Dana was a day away from giving birth by now. He wanted to be around to help his mother for this. Then it was back to her side. When Agatha got to the lab, she smiled at Meret and Bruce. Meret was confirmed to be pregnant now. She nodded respectfully to her mother and to Alex.

"She got sick," Bruce chuckled. "What's goin' on?"

"An experiment. One of the Japanese soldiers got a shot of Agatha's blood. Before she could claim it back," Alex muttered. "Agatha is going to try and filter her blood out and leave his alone. It's...tricky. But, if she can't do this, he'll have to get killed by her."

"Ouch," Bruce winced. When his wife looked at him, he sighed and smiled. "All right. We'll get you somethin' to eat."

"I want ham," she growled. He lifted her off her feet to hear her squeal, and he carried her right off to their room.

"We'll need a lot more ham," Agatha smiled.

"We can get more. Osiris can help with that," Alex nodded. "Commander."

"Alex," Robert said when he walked in. "What's up?"

"Meret's pregnant, Agatha is going to try to filter her blood out from that guy, and, if she can't, she has to kill him," Alex shrugged.

"Wonderful," Robert snorted. "I was hoping to see the new breeder females."

"You can go look. In the bedroom," Agatha smiled. Robert nodded and followed a drone. "Oh! Take Tsuneo and Toshimichi! Amaterasu will be there, too!"

"I'll get them!" Robert called back. Ragland walked up to Agatha with another vial of Fumio's blood. She curled back her lip, but Alex placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Seek your blood only," Alex whispered in her ear. She nodded and focused for a small tendril to appear. Very carefully, it dipped into the vial. She had to focus even harder to only find her DNA strands in the blood. Almost like how Alex was able to remove his viral tissue after coating something over, she was able to successfully pull her blood away from the human. Hermes was concerned about that, but Dana mentally jabbed his mind. _She needed me._ Alex nodded to show that he was handling it. Hermes nodded back and sped off.

"I think...I got it all..." she sighed and sagged. Alex looked at her with concern. "It took a lot out of me..."

"Did it?" he frowned.

"Yeah," she mumbled and leaned into him. He gazed at her and ran a hand through her hair. He studied her carefully, but she didn't appear to be deteriorating.  _It was just exhausting for her to only find her blood. It was easier for her to take in everything._  "Do you really have to leave? So soon?"

"It's like I said. The sooner we fuck up those bases, the sooner I can stay with you," he whispered in her ear. "I'll watch you take the rest of your blood. I'll make sure you recover. Then I have to go. My drones have reported that the massive fuck of a Hunter is at the base now. Isis is already gathering blueprints for me, from what my drone can tell me. I want to be as quick as I possibly can. Go in. Fuck it up. Get your part. Get out. Just like the last one."

"You won't go alone?" she asked.

"Do you honestly think," he smirked. "that Hermanubis will let me have all the fun?"

She laughed at that thought, and he kissed her in a loving way. At the squeeze he gave her next, she nodded to him. She really did worry about him. He let her lead him to where Fumio was located. It took everything she had to keep herself from launching at him with a blood-thirsty rage. Alex helped her keep focus by keeping his arm around her waist.

"Yes? Oh...!" the man gaped at her beauty.

"I am Project Hera," she said with a cold glare. "Until I get my blood from you, I will see you as my rival. I am able to draw out my blood. After I get it, a shot of my pure blood will be given to you. Then everything will be well."

"Will I be in pain?" he asked carefully.

"I don't know," she admitted. "So, we can do this one of two ways. The first is you get bound down to a chair. The second is you steel yourself for anything."

"I will brave what happens," he said.

"Hold up," Alex said. "You feel brave now, because of her blood. It may change later. Get bound down. Just in case."

"I cannot do that!" Fumio argued. At this, Alex rose up his hand and plastered him to the wall with his viral tissue.

"Problem solved. Your turn," he muttered. Agatha kissed him passionately and let him hold her to help her keep focus. Her hair became a mass of writhing tentacles now, and the man visibly paled with complete fright. He didn't expect that. They launched at him to drill into his flesh, but Alex kept her focused to only draw out the part of herself that she needed.

She struggled to keep focus. Her eyes narrowed with determination to only seek out her blood. Alex ran a hand along her back to give her the calm focus she needed. If it wasn't for him, the human would have died. Five minutes later, her hair pulled away, and she sagged against him.  _It was done._  She felt no more malice to the man.

"Zeus..." she whispered. "Don't...go anywhere..."

"I won't leave until you're recovered," he smiled.

"No. I don't want you...to ever leave..." she cringed. Now he looked at her with concern. He removed the viral tissues that bound the man to the wall, scooped up his mate, and carried her back to the bedroom. Ragland would evaluate Fumio to give him a new shot of blood and ensure he recovered to peak form.

"Hera," Alex muttered. He gently placed her on the bed to hug her. "We talked about this. The sooner I get those bases done, the sooner I won't have to leave your side."

"I know," she shivered.

"Talk to me, Hera," he whispered.

"I just worry a lot," she admitted. He kissed her and urged her to continue. "Every time you leave, I worry. I know you leave a part of yourself here, but it's just the fear that you won't come back to me. I can't help it..."

"I've come back to you so far, right?" he asked.

"You have," she smiled.

"I get stronger for you, too."

"I know."

"The stronger I get, the stronger our drones get. It's the same for any breeders that go with me. Should I take Dionysus with me?"

"I think Hermanubis and Osiris fair better than he would. He'd draw too much attention with his antagonizing and bitching," she muttered. Alex started to laugh.

"That he would," he grinned. "Anyways, do you feel better?"

"A bit more complete. In a way. Ah! I can feel something now!" she blinked.

"What's that?"

"The part of me in Brazil. In the Amazon. I can...connect to it. Because of how close it is. Hmm. Yes...I can feel it, in a way. Um..."

"You can?"

"Now that I'm getting stronger, yes. It knows you are coming. To help me become whole. I..." she started. Then she paled. "Oh...no...NO!"

"Hera?!" he hissed.

"It's...still being experimented on! In pain!" she gasped. "Go now! Rescue me! Please rescue me! I can't take it!"

"Hera!" Alex said to snap her back to him. "Can you see the room it's in?"

"Ah...yes..." she shivered in his arms. "A lab. Like the others. Um...oh! I'm calling Apollo! Take some of his blood! The part of me...it knows the floor plans! Look at Apollo's memories! They will help you!"

"Good," Alex said and rose from the bed. The breeder male was there to let him get a taste of blood. Gleaning the memories, he grinned wickedly. He knew how the entire base functioned. Then he saw what was being done to the piece of her. Agatha sent that to Apollo, too. Now Alex was absolutely livid.  _The humans had managed to work with it to try to breed with it. As much as they failed, they weren't letting up. Each aborted fetus being given out was killing that part of her. I have to leave now._

"Please..." she whimpered.

"Cut off the thoughts from that part of you. Try to. You can't let yourself suffer. I'm leaving to rescue it now. Apollo, tell Osiris to get his ass in the air right now. Have Hermanubis and Sigyn ready to meet me when the cryo tube hits the island. And remember. Don't visit your mother. Wait until I come back. Remember what I warned you all before," Alex growled.

"I know," the breeder male nodded. "Osiris and Isis are now in the air. Hurry!"

When Apollo left, Alex moved to kiss his mate lustfully. "I love you. I'll rescue you. All of you. Stay in control. Stay here."

"I love you, too, Zeus," she swallowed. They kissed again, and he left the room. She lay back on the bed and let the drones tend to her. She knew that he saw what was being done. Now she could only hope that he got to the base as quickly as possible to stop the torment. She was also afraid of what the other pieces were going through. In time, she knew she would feel the other parts of her that were still hidden away in the other bases. That scared her to death.  _Who knew what was being done to them?_  The last thing she wanted was to feel their suffering. It would affect her far too much to bear.


	67. Chapter 67

The moment Alex got out of the cryo tube, Hermanubis and Sigyn were waiting for him. They were ready to rescue the piece of their mother. Thanks to what that single piece sent her, they knew the base, too, and were ready to discuss how to infiltrate it.

"Since this base is strictly underground, it's like a honeycomb below the earth. It's about twenty feet down by a special elevator. Then we hit the lobby. Security is all over the first floor, since it's also a drug plant for military uses. The level below that is all living space. It's the third level down that we need. Mother's piece is in one of those rooms. We just don't know which one. We'll need to consume someone to get the info," Hermanubis said.

"Make sure Isis has the headset. That really helped me," Alex said.

"She does," Sigyn nodded.

"Good. How far off are they?" he asked.

"Ten minutes out," Hermanubis said. They grabbed another Chinook for easy transport. It was something that John would have used on visiting the base and was commonly seen with them. As Alex reviewed who he would have to consume to get the answers he wanted, time flew by quickly. When the helicopter landed, he was the first one on. Gesturing to Osiris to leave the moment the others were boarded, the helicopter was back in the air quickly.

They flew dead south, then west. After four solid hours, the base they needed was in range. It was near the center of some of the roughest jungle terrain that could possibly exist. A small clearing was all that was available for air-drop supplies. And it was a good thing that none of them needed to sweat. Water would be something of a massive priority for any human with the humidity that assaulted them now.

A drone was able to take over the helicopter, and the five of them simply jumped out. They landed heavily in a few trees, but that was fine. Scout drones appeared to unveil the massive Hunter. It was in a comatose state and swarmed with ants and other insects that were trying to get into it. Alex grinned.  _It was going to be pissed off when it woke up._

"Give it the drug. Put it at the mouth of the base. When it's clear, we go in," Alex growled. Hermanubis and Osiris now directed the drones to give the wake up drug. It was quickly placed where it would be easily seen in a camera. When it woke sluggishly, it seethed. Then it felt the biting of insects. Now it roared and bucked around. The reaction was instant.

Like a bunch of ants themselves, the military poured out from the entrance with guns blazing. Several scouts were able to take over a couple men to get more information. The missing men went unnoticed. Alex was quick to claim a soldier to disguise himself next. Osiris and Isis became the forms they needed to start on the scene.

"Sir?!" a leading officer gaped at Osiris.

"This was a surprise inspection! What the fuck is one of those things doing here?!" Osiris growled as Commander John. Isis stood there as Lynette with a notepad in hand.

"It just showed up, Sir!" the man gaped.

"Get rid of it! If that fucker gets in the base, it's your ass! I want everyone deployed now! No exceptions!" he barked.

"Sir, yes, Sir!" the man said and got on the radio. Shock at the Commander's surprise visit was quickly spread through the base. Hermanubis went over to Alex swiftly.

"They're hiding the piece of Mother!" he growled out. "They weren't supposed to be doing what they have been doing to it!"

"Then let's get the fuck in there and rescue her!" Alex snapped. Osiris was quick to push various soldiers out of the way to get into the base. This was expected. He was a high ranking officer and needed to be kept safe. He had the others follow him as though he just chose them as his honor guard. On getting into the base, he smirked.  _The alarms were on. Doors were getting locked up. The scientists were all quarantined in the level below._

Hermanubis waited to make sure all the other military officials were out of the base to fight off the Hunter. Then he locked them all out. Alex nodded to him, dropped his disguise, and had his claws out. _It was time to cleanse the base._

"Let's find Mother," Isis said, as she put on the ear bud. "I know where the control room is. I'll head there now."

"Good. Everyone fucking dies. As of right now!" Alex snarled. He turned and gutted open a random maintenance worker. Now that the scent of fresh blood was in the air, the others let their bloodlust come forth. Isis went into the control room and slaughtered everyone that was in the room with her hair and whip attacks. Osiris was using his blade attack. Sigyn and Hermanubis both had their claws out.

The first level was easily cleared out. Most of the soldiers were trapped above ground. Any left were stragglers or wounded. When they got to the second level, the slaughter really started. At the first steel door they came to, Hermanubis couldn't puncture it. Alex ripped it apart easily with his claws. Two inches of solid steel was now rendered as useless scrap metal. He consumed the first man in front of him. He found out where Agatha's piece was.

"My Emperor?!" Hermanubis asked when Alex howled with rage.

"My Emperor, you have to get down to the lab! Now!" Isis shouted in ear piece. Hermanubis paled at what she sent him. He wisely backed away to let Alex do his worst.

"No time to explain! I'm on it!" Alex snarled and ripped apart any human in front of him. He was a whirlwind of blood and death, as he got to the next steel door. This one was now ripped to shreds. He was on a time limit. He had less than five minutes to save Agatha's piece before it got incinerated. He moved swiftly from room to room. He cleared everything out of his way, and Hermanubis finished off what was left.  _This was why Agatha screamed at me to go. This was why she was adamant to have me save her. Not only was she being tortured, but she was going to be killed off._

_After the weakened piece was destroyed, the scientists would have asked for another piece to work with and torment. How many other pieces were being treated this way?!_  He didn't want to know. As of right now, he was livid. He was rushing himself.  _I have to save that piece of her before Agatha felt the pain it was going to have._ And he ripped the last door clean off its hinges to get down to the final area. Any humans that launched at him were killed. When he finally found his goal, a scientist was ready to flip the incinerator switch on.

"Who are you?!" the man gaped. Then his jaw went slack when his body was severed in half from a whip attack.

"Your worst fucking nightmare!" Alex sneered. Shoving the body away from the control panel, he went straight to the small piece in the kiln. He carefully pulled it out and noticed that it was in a basic plastic bag.  _Not good._ He moved to carefully dump it into a far more stable container that held more solution. It appeared listless. It had lost all hope and seemed unconscious. He dipped his hand into the solution and gently caressed it. "I'm here. It's safe now. The others are dead."

The piece seemed to quiver, but that was all it could do. The solution was slowly reviving it, but not by much. He could make out the impressions of where a uterus and ovaries used to be. On glancing around the room, he saw the various failed experiments of fetuses in small jars. With each one made, the piece had shrunk. It was a decent size before. Now all that remained was enough to fit around his hand. On glancing at the fetal corpses in the room, he wondered if Agatha could retrieve the pieces of her that were corrupted. But, if it was already dead, he wasn't sure.

"Mother...?" Hermanubis asked when he finally saw the piece. He was outraged at what was left. "What were they going to do?"

"They were getting ready to kill it," Alex growled. "These dead babies. Grab them all. I want to see if we can try to get Agatha's DNA from them. If she can pull it out, or if Ragland can do something. What do you think?"

"There's hundreds of them here," Sigyn frowned. She was just as outraged.

"Make sure the entrance is cleared out," Alex said.

"The Hunter is the only one left standing," Isis said in the communicator. "All others are dead. If we take it out, we'll have room to land the helicopter."

"Hermanubis. Kill it. Sigyn. Start helping me gather these dead kids. Osiris and Isis. Start prepping for a landing pad," Alex ordered.

"Yes, my Emperor," they all stated.

"Hush. It's okay," Alex whispered gently to the weakened piece. "We'll fix this. We'll get you home. I know they were going to kill you. It will never happen."

After a bit more reassurance, the piece finally started to calm down. He promised that he would personally carry it out of the base and let it witness the base's destruction. He waited until the lab was cleared of any and all fetal tissues. Then he carried out Agatha's piece.

"My Emperor? Do you want me to carry it?" Hermanubis asked.

"No. I promised I would do it. I will carry it to Agatha," he said bluntly.

"Yes, my Emperor. When did you want the base to blow up?" Hermanubis asked, as he walked with him. "The moment we become airborne?"

"Yes. And I promised the piece that I would let it witness the destruction. I will keep my word," Alex muttered. He was in a protective mood right now. This was a piece of his mate he was carrying. It was almost dead. Nothing was going to get in his way to see it safely home. "Do me a favor. Stand in front of me. If Osiris isn't doing anything, I want him to walk behind me. From now on, I may want a small volley of armored scouts to shield me. Precaution."

"Yes, my Emperor," Hermanubis agreed.

"Where is the next piece your Mother wants to get?" Alex asked.

"China. She feels either there, or Russia would be needed next," he said.

"Hmm. Both places could be a goat fuck," Alex frowned. "I want various drones to start scoping out both bases. Maybe we can even have the lead scientists consumed, too, but, if the pieces are strong enough, they could be revealed."

"I don't think so, my Emperor. If it's your drones, then you are already evolved enough, right?" Hermanubis grinned. Alex mused. _That would have to be carefully tested._

"Can your mother detect how much is left of various parts of herself?"

"Hmm. Ah...not yet. It could change. She is very relieved that we saved this part of her. She awaits your return, my Emperor," Hermanubis said with a soft smile. Alex nodded and glanced over at Osiris. He took up a position behind Alex now. Only breeders and drones would be trusted with his back to them. And it was a good thing he decided to have them take up a guard. A crazed soldier launched at them with bullets firing wildly.

"DIE MOTHERFUCKER!" the man screamed at the top of his lungs. Then he dropped dead when Hermanubis sped over, gutted him, and dismembered him with his claws bared. Osiris had leapt in front of Alex and activated his shielding. Like Hermanubis, he gained a second skill from traveling with Alex so much. He had gone sword for up-close and stand-off attacks. Then he went with the shield and armor to deflect what his sword couldn't.

"I got hit, but it's nothing serious," Hermanubis grunted.

"Where?" Alex asked. He showed off his right shoulder. The bullet was already being pushed out naturally, and he started to regenerate. Isis was able to find him a cooked steak to eat. Like their mother, they needed to eat to restore any lost proteins. Much like Cronus did when Alex tore into him to prove a point.

"Are you all right?!" Sigyn asked when she ran over.

"I'm fine, sister love," Hermanubis said warmly. She sighed with relief and kissed him. "Let's get Mother's piece onto the helicopter. We need to get home."

"I'll have a submarine waiting at the island," Osiris said.

"Good. Let's go," Alex grunted. "All the dead babies on it?"

"Yes. Just enough room for us," Isis said.

"Fine. The moment we're a mile out, blow this fucking shithole up!" he growled.

"Yes, my Emperor," she nodded. "Ah..."

"What?" he asked.

"We missed something. Somewhere," Isis blinked. "Mother reached out to me."

"Where? What did we miss?" Alex asked.

"That's only half of Mother's piece!" she hissed.

"What...?" Alex asked carefully.

"A part of her was moved, remember?! They were going to kill off one half and keep the rest as backup!" she winced. "Um..."

"Hey," Alex whispered to the piece in his hands. He had Hermanubis carefully hold the container, and he dipped his hand into the solution to gently caress it. "Are you only half of what you should be? I want to save all of you. Hmm. I see. Okay."

"It told you something?" Sigyn asked.

"Yes. Wait here. I still need to carry it out," Alex said. "Hush! I'll get the other piece. I understand you were weak, and still are. No, I'm not mad at you. It's fine. You told me where to go. I'll look now. You'll be safe. Osiris. Come with me. You have armor. Guard my ass while I search. I also have armor, but you can help spot me."

"Of course," Osiris nodded. Isis kissed him passionately and waited with the others. Alex had to go back to the lab down below. "Where are we looking?"

"A ventilation shaft," Alex said. "Back corner wall on the right."

"I see it," Osiris nodded.

"So do I," he muttered. He used his claws to climb up and make footholds into the steel. Now Osiris gaped at how strong Alex was. He hadn't really seen him fight yet. Or do this.  _This was my Emperor._  Alex now slashed open the ventilation shaft and found the carefully hidden piece. It was a bit larger than the other, but healthier. This was the piece only used for antibiotics and cures. Then he thought. "Osiris. The first level was a medical lab, right?"

"Yes," Osiris nodded. "And bio-weapons. As well as a drug lab."

"Was everything salvaged that could be of use?" Alex asked now.

"We'll need another helicopter here. There is quite a bit we can take with us. Hedeyasu and Ragland could use over half of those drugs for Hunters."

"Good. Let's bag all that shit up, too," Alex nodded. He dipped his hand into the solution and gently caressed the small piece. "Yes. I found you. No, it's okay. We'll go soon. Yes, I know what happened. You'll be reunited with the rest soon, okay? Just rest now."

"I can actually feel a bit of relief from it," Osiris smiled.

"Can you?" Alex mused. "Maybe you can help me play bloodhound. I can't feel the burn from these anymore. If you can sense where they are in each base we go to, then that could be valuable to me. It'll save time. Can you sense anything else in this area?"

"No. I think I can only sense parts of Mother. Nothing else," Osiris said. "I can't detect anything else. We have what we came for. We'll collect whatever we need on the first level. Then we'll go. Ah. Did you want the Hunter heart?"

"And the meat," Alex nodded. "As much as we can salvage. With all of the Queens needing meat when they start to breed, we'll need the surplus."

"Very true," Osiris agreed. The Hunter was already being carved up, as they walked back to the others. Isis was made aware of the new plans for her mate. She beamed with pride at him. Her mate was going to be very important to their Emperor.

"How much longer for the other chopper to get here?" Alex asked. He was able to merge both pieces into one container. Watching them carefully reform, he smiled softly and placed his hand in the tank. The piece seemed much better now, and it curled up around his hand up to his wrist. It knew it was safe. It knew it was going home.

Alex just kept comforting it the whole time. When the second Chinook appeared to carry away supplies, he boarded onto the first one. He learned from his drones that the Hunter in Russia was set in position. The other was still being carefully delivered to China. Russia was next on the list. As the helicopter took off back to the island, he gave the signal.  _Infiltrate the Russian base._  He would be there in a day or two to cross that one off his list.


	68. Chapter 68

Agatha was trying to feel out the pieces in Russia and China. She was trying to find out which one needed to be rescued first. From what she could sense, they both seemed to be stable.  _But, how long would that last?_ She didn't know. It frustrated her, but she figured that the one in Russia could be the one that had to be saved first.

"Don't worry, Mother," Amaterasu smiled softly. She was sitting in the bedroom with her. "Osiris has discovered that he can help sense your parts."

"I know. I'm glad," Agatha smiled back. "When they get back, Tsuneo and Toshimichi should be able to meet their new females. They are almost ready to hatch. Another hour, I think. It may be sooner."

"They are looking forward to seeing them," she agreed.

"I do wonder, though," Agatha thought.

"Mother, you know that only my Emperor can be with you," Amaterasu frowned. "Even you know that none can replace him. Even Father cannot be with you for precaution."

"I know," Agatha sighed and lay back. "I just...wish to see one of them..."

"That cannot happen, Mother," Amaterasu said softly. "Besides, my Emperor is on his way back. He is less than an hour out. Thirty minutes to the cryo tube. Then the rest to get here. The submarine trip would take too long for him. Your piece will be brought on the submarine. He would chance bringing your piece with him, but it is already so weak. He fears it would deteriorate if frozen."

"He may be right," Agatha trembled. "I just feel...a touch lonely. That's all."

"Mother, I am here with you. You can talk to all of us through our link."

"It's not the same. I miss the physical contact."

"Can you please hold back?" Amaterasu finally pleaded. When the door opened, Robin had allowed Nick to walk in.

"My Liege wishes for me to try something with you, my Empress," Nick said.

"Oh?" Agatha asked.

"Amaterasu, please leave the room," Nick said.

"Of course," she nodded. "Rest well, Mother."

"But..." Agatha cringed. Nick watched the breeder female leave. Now the drone looked at her and settled in the bed. This surprised her.

"Isis was able to tell my Liege that you missed him badly. That you needed the comfort of another. He has decided to let me be that comfort. I cannot breed with you, my Empress, but I can keep you company. He will talk through me. Can we try?"

"But...Nick...you're a drone! I just..." she shivered.

"I am not here to mate with you, my Empress. I am incapable of that. I am here for you to hug and talk to. This way, if another tries to get in, I will be ready to rip the intruder to pieces. I will become your personal guardian while my Liege fights for you."

"I don't know," she admitted and sat up. "It would seem...awkward to me..."

As Nick watched her, Alex carefully pushed his consciousness into the drone. He granted this drone one ability. An ability that would clearly prove to her that this was her personal guardian at all times while Alex was away. "Hera. I am here for you."

"What?!" she gaped at the drone. "I...!"

"I can't fuck you," Nick growled in her ear. "But, I can do other things to you."

"No!" she hissed. Alex was expecting this. When it came to the actual approach, she would fight it.  _It was instinctive to fight something she didn't agree with._  He trusted using his drone over any others. He could control this drone to do whatever was needed. He gave the drone the ability to think and talk at his level, and to do whatever was needed to sate her.

"I will replace Project Zeus," the drone muttered, as it pulled her against it a touch forcefully. "I will pleasure you. I will keep you company. I will kill anyone that tries to fucking touch you! I was given this ability. I will not hesitate."

"But...Zeus..." she whimpered when the drone began to massage her erotically.

"He put his mind within me. I am now him. Just for you," Nick muttered in her ear. "It will always be like this when he leaves you. It is safer this way. I am under his control."

She couldn't think anymore. The drone's lithe, deadly form was quick to arouse her body with caresses that only Alex knew of. Every intimate spot that Alex knew, the drone knew, too. _This was what she needed._ The sexual release she gave off finally took off the edge of needing others rather greatly. It was what her body was craving. With Nick being a drone, she couldn't get pregnant. All the drone needed to do was keep her sexually satisfied. There were plenty of other ways to do that without mating.

"I can't...believe..." she gasped against it in the bed.

"I know," it grinned and reclined for her to cuddle it. Back on the helicopter, Alex was extremely pleased. Now he knew his mate would be safe from any advancing breeder males or other Kings. It gave him a lot more leeway to get back to her.

"Very clever," Osiris said when he sat next to Alex.

"It had to be done," Alex grunted. "It was either that, or she forces herself on one of her kids. I couldn't have that. No one wants that. So, Nick will be her fuck toy while I'm out. It can't really fuck her, though. The drone has no dick. So, it's fine."

"I'll have something sent to the base," Osiris grinned. "There are sexual toys, you know. Strap-on cocks and such. Some have other additions that could be added on."

"You're a sick fuck," Alex grinned wickedly at him. "But, you are also very correct."

"You'd be amazed at what a vibrating cock ring can do..."

"Fuck you. Shut up," he warned. Osiris bit back a laugh and nodded. "You said enough. Send whatever you think will work. Just don't let me see any of it. I'll see enough through Nick when the time comes. How far off is the island?"

"Five minutes out," Osiris said. Alex nodded and saw the island coming into view rather quickly. As the helicopter got closer, he thought about something.

"After that base blew up," he mused. "what did you feel?"

"Nothing. However, Mother does think that the Russian base should be next in line."

"I know. I was thinking the same thing. Was it infiltrated?"

"Yes. We located the piece, too. It's frozen and labeled in a box underground. Project Hera was secretly abandoned there, for some reason," Osiris frowned.

"What?" Alex glared at him with a twitch in his eye.

"We can actually sneak it out to save time, but I think they're working on a different project. One that was...an offshoot of her," he thought, as he felt out what his mother was thinking. "Mother can...feel the piece of her. It's alive, just not able to do anything. Like the others. It's weird. But...she can sense something else that may be a part of her, too. Something that was cloned and enhanced. We can take out a scientist right now to know more."

"Do it!" Alex snapped. "I want to know everything that's going on in that base! And secure her piece for me. I'll still go to the base to fuck it up, but the faster I make her whole, the faster I can move on to other things. If there's another project based off of her, I need to kill it."

"I know, my Emperor," Osiris completely agreed. "Ah. One of my drones was able to learn more. Just now. Ah...hmm..."

"What?"

"I think...wait..." Osiris paused, as he gleaned what was sent to him. Then he paled.

"Talk. Now."

"Those sick...fucking...bastards...!" Osiris hissed. "My Emperor, we can't go back to Mother. We'll drop off what we have, but we HAVE to go there! Those fucking...!"

"What did they do?" Alex asked calmly with a hint of rage.

"They were able to merge Mother's DNA...with a cloned Hunter..." Osiris said slowly. "And...they got it to breed out..."

"I see."

"It made a nest in a lower level. The lowest one. It's four levels down. Mother's piece is also in the same location as it! It's like it knew what it was! This has been going on for the past month, from what my drone is able to tell me. They didn't say anything, because they were able to quarantine it, but they can't do shit, either. The entire base is in lockdown to keep the offspring from getting out! It's...really bad..."

"Looks like Nick gets to play with Agatha for the next day or two. I'll see the new breeder females when I'm done killing that base," Alex sighed.

"What about the piece of her?" Osiris asked.

"Fuck..." he grimaced. "I need to at least make sure that she can bond properly with it. Get all the drones to work on getting the fetuses in the submarine. The faster, the better."

"We'll be prepared to leave the moment you're ready. Hmm..." Osiris suddenly mused. "I think I'll call them. The Russians. They are Site One, so they should be aptly warned of John's visit. They'll likely let me go into the base with the hopes that I'd get killed off."

"True. Get your strongest drones together. We will need the welcoming party. Oh. If they say you can walk into the base, insist to have them help you with an escort of their finest soldiers. They stopped giving reports to him, if I recall from all the memories you gave me before. And from what you've told me so far. If they argue with you about that, ask them what happened with the original project. If they shut up, demand the escort for your safety for going off the project."

"Will do, my Emperor," Osiris nodded.

"I need to get to Agatha. Get that piece of her to the base as quickly as you can," Alex said. "I'm jumping into the cryo tube."

"If you can wait five minutes, we can get you there even faster. We don't have to worry about radar scans or gas reserves anymore. We can get you to the base in ten minutes flat at top speed. Trust me on this. We can do it."

"Fine. Hurry," Alex nodded. Osiris sent the word through the hive link. The moment the helicopter touched down, a flurry of movement was done. The same was done for the second one. Alex was on board the moment the submarine was ready to go. Hermanubis and Sigyn were going to prepare for the trip to Russia and stay on the island. Osiris and Isis had to help deliver the drugs and fetal jars to Ragland and Hedeyasu, so they went with Alex.

True to Osiris's word, the submarine was much faster in approach. Alex went straight to the bedchamber. Nick was walking out, and it gave a nod of respect to its Emperor. "She is resting, my Liege. I understand that I will stay with her."

"Good. Osiris may have some...enhancements for you."

"As you told me, my Liege."

"I'd say to try taking someone over just to gain what you need for her, but you have Leopold's body. We could clone him again, but I'd rather not waste resources. We'll see what can be done for you with what Osiris has in mind. Stay close by. The more you stick with her, the more she's forced to accept you when I'm gone. Yes, you know this, too. It's just for any other drones around us to know."

"Of course, my Liege," Nick nodded. "Did you want to bring a human here for me?"

"Tempting," Alex mused. "Very tempting. Maybe Osiris can enforce a visit by one that Agatha would appreciate. He knows what she likes."

"I would suggest to try to find one with my features."

"Tough to do, but we'll see what can be done. Talk to Osiris."

"We can make another Leopold clone and keep that one on ice, too," the drone said. "As much as you don't want to waste resources, it would need to be done, anyways. This is for my Empress to keep her safe."

"My mindset. Good. Do it. You'll be Agatha's personal fuck toy. Fine."

"As you command, my Liege," Nick nodded and walked to the freezer entrance to stand guard. Robin let Alex into the room easily and covered the door with its muscle mass.

"Hera," Alex whispered. She launched at him and clung to him. "You know I need to go to Russia. Nick will take my place here for you. I have that piece of you. I want you to join with it safely first. Then I have to go."

"I know," she sighed. He kissed her hard and crushed her to him. He wanted her badly, but he couldn't afford to wait. He was even half-tempted to rush to China right after Russia.  _They were relatively close together._

"How would you feel," he muttered against her neck. "if I went straight to China after Russia? Those bases are the closest together."

"I'd miss you, but, I think with Nick, I should be okay," she admitted.

"I'll fuck you hard the moment I get back. I promise you," he growled and kissed her again. He had to fight the instinct to mate with her. _Nick couldn't help her with her eggs. No one could while I was gone._ At her pant of need, he winced. "Hera..."

"Zeus," she swallowed. "I know...you need to go to the base...but..."

"That piece of you. You need to merge with it," he mumbled in the kiss they shared next.

"Okay," she said. She pulled herself away, but Alex pulled her back to him.

"Fuck it. I'll have to leave later," he grunted and gave in to the powerful instinct. "When you give birth, you'll merge with it. Maybe Ragland can extract what he can from those bodies. Osiris has to plan a welcoming party, anyways. Have him call Site One in four hours."

"Done!" she moaned at the feel of his viral skin. He finally pulled her into his arms and laid claim to her on the large bed. This was his mate. He could only leave her alone for so long. Even the others understood this and would wait patiently.


	69. Chapter 69

While the two of them were tending to their intense mating instincts, Ragland and Hedeyasu were going over the jars of fetal tissues. They were quite perplexed on how to go about it.  _Agatha's DNA practically over-rode everything else. All of the fetuses were, technically, her._ It started to seem doubtful that another male was even involved at this point. They could only think of having her possibly consume them as a way to get back what she needed. Any other option turned up as a dead end.

"Each one of these is simply a clone of itself," Hedeyasu said.

"I can see that," Ragland frowned. "Only Alex could make viable offspring. Even Robert. I have to wonder if they were only using a portion and not the whole piece. If that was the case, just by separating her piece in half may have been too weak to make a child."

"True. But, just by looking at these fetuses..." Hedeyasu thought. "each one is a complete copy of another. I have to wonder if it was only one man trying to use sperm. Can we isolate who it was? Or was he completely lost?"

"That's something even I can't tell," Ragland admitted. At the girl that ran in now, he said, "Eir! What's going on? You can't be in here!"

"I miss you, Dad," the fifteen-year-old girl frowned. She was becoming a rather stunning girl with a developing voluptuous body. Her black hair easily reached the middle of her back now, and it was tied back to keep it neat. Her Oriental, brown eyes regarded her father with a hint of sadness. He sighed and hugged her.

"I know," he smiled. "Tell you what. Give me another five minutes here, and we'll have lunch with your mom. Okay? I'm doing important research right now."

"Okay," she smiled. He kissed her temple and let her find her mother.

"She is a beautiful girl," Hedeyasu chuckled.

"And mischievous," Ragland grinned softly. "I'll miss her when she's sent off, but we know it's needed. On that note, the women made for your two sons should be coming around soon. You'd better have them get ready. I'll clean up a bit here."

Hedeyasu nodded, jotted down a few more notes and went to find his sons. They were both in the main mess hall and eating. He sat down to join them.

" _Your wives are almost ready to see you. From what I know, they are being prepared. They may just be emerging. Are the two of you ready to meet them?_ " he asked, as he was served some exquisite sushi and tempura rolls. Tsuneo paused in eating and looked at his father with surprise. Even Toshimichi was caught by surprise at this news.

" _So soon?! I mean..._ " Tsuneo started.

" _Yes. Maybe you both should finish eating and get ready for them?_ " Hedeyasu smiled. " _There is progress being made with the DNA cellular samples for the Hunters. As for the fetal tissues...I still have to figure that out._ "

" _Is it that troublesome?_ " Toshimichi frowned.

" _All of them belong to Agatha. It's...complex. We cannot separate them. We are going to see if we can isolate who tried to father them. They are all the same,_ " their father sighed.

" _Unless, they were only working with one fetus and using it over and over again to have it develop,_ " Toshimichi said. He was thinking aloud, but his idea now sparked an interest.  _Something about it made sense._ Hedeyasu finished eating quickly and made a bee-line back to the lab. Taking out a fresh fetus and the one that was being worked on, he studied various cells under a microscope. His jaw dropped.  _My son was right. Every single fetus was simply cloned and set back into the viral uterus. No wonder the experiments kept failing! They were trying to make an army of genetic clones!_

" _Amazing!_ " Hedeyasu muttered. " _They had a failed project to start with. They kept trying to fix the same failed project! What a waste!_ "

"Hi," Dionysus said, as he walked in. "I heard your thoughts. That's disturbing as hell."

"I know," he nodded back. "What do you think?"

"Mother is absolutely livid," Dionysus sighed. "It's fucking disgusting at how they just kept thinking that they needed one fetus! And it was a waste of Mother's piece from trying to improve on something that was destined to fail! Wait...now...that makes sense..."

"What?"

"They were  _purposely_  failing it! They were trying to show that they needed more money by falsifying the experiment!" Dionysus seethed. "Those motherfuckers!"

"That is such a waste!" Hedeyasu cringed.

"That's why all of them are just like Mother! There are no fresh strands of DNA!" he continued. "They tried to clone  _HER!_  They tried to make her! Not another person!"

Hedeyasu was speechless now. His narrow eyes were as wide as they could go.  _The Brazilian base tried to make another Agatha. Now it made sense why all of the clones were identical. Not only did the project fail, but they didn't have a full specimen to work with. They were hoping to grow one just enough to harvest their own pieces!_

"I'm here," Alex growled, as he walked in. "I'm testing something."

"Yes, my Emperor?" Dionysus asked. He watched Alex walk to a fetus and place his hand into the jar. When he touched it, he paused. As his eyes showed complete hatred, he was gently caressing the small, lifeless body with a form of tenderness that he only gave Agatha.  _Even though the little body was dead, Agatha's DNA was still alive!_

"This is bad," Alex frowned. "They had no idea what they were doing. If they only focused on pure cells and not whole bodies, they would have succeeded. They thought they had to grow everything. Fucking idiots! No, I'm not mad at you. Hush. You'll be reunited with your true form when she's empty of my eggs. Okay? Just remain calm. You're safe here. That's it. Rest. Easy now..."

"I can't fucking believe it..." Dionysus said with a sad disbelief. Robert walked in after he was informed by Apollo. He was thoroughly disgusted with the whole thing.

"All of these are Agatha?" he asked carefully.

"Yes. Her DNA is alive in each dead body. I'm  _very_  glad we grabbed every fetus!" Alex hissed out a sigh. "I'm fucking amazed at all of this."

"Tell me about it," Hermes muttered when he walked in. Apollo was next to glance over every jar in the room.  _All of the bodies were the same size. They all stopped forming when the internal organs were trying to develop._  Then he noticed something similar with each one.

"My Emperor," Apollo said softly. "each fetus was gutted!"

"What?" Alex blinked. On a closer inspection, he cringed.  _Apollo was right. Each small body had the internal organs harvested to use in the same experiment._  "Those...fuckers...!"

"Where are the latest internal organs? Where is the last fetus used?" Hedeyasu asked.

"Let me think," Hermes said when he thought to the hive mind. Alex had consumed only one man from the base, and he scoured through the memories. Giving the fetus a comforting caress, he withdrew his hand and walked over to the weakened piece of Agatha. Dipping his hand in to let it mold around him, he took in a deep breath.

"Do you know?" he muttered softly. The piece seemed to shiver. Now his eyes went wide. "Fuck...that...!"

"What?" Dionysus asked. Alex gave a small grimace.

"This piece of her. The womb isn't empty," he said grimly.

"No..." Hermes gaped.

"What the hell...?!" Dionysus said with disbelief.

"Why?!" Apollo seethed. Robert was just in complete and absolute shock.

"There was one miscalculation that those scientists missed," Alex said. "They thought this piece was barren when they went to destroy it. It was hiding this fetus. This fetus...is alive. It's thriving. It's almost the same size as the others. I don't know...what we can do..."

"Oh, fuck..." Robert swallowed.

"Mother wants all of her parts. She...doesn't want to lose that fetus, either. But, she has an idea," Apollo said. "She thinks that, if it is a fetus, maybe remove it to the cloning bay? It's either that or she can try to consume it, but carefully move it into her womb..."

"Hmm..." Alex thought. The piece seemed to shiver, but he continued to hold it. "Well, she can try to carefully consume it. Move the fetus, as you say. This piece...it's way too weak to support another cesarean. She would need to do what she could. If the fetus is lost in the process, so be it. We'll see what happens when she gives birth to my eggs. What has Osiris done about the Russian base? With that mutated Hunter?"

"He arranged for a visit. The moment Mother is clear for us to leave, we'll go. They think that 'John' can help cleanse the base with all of us as the cleaning crew. We don't even have to go as soldiers. Just a specialized task force that works under him. We arm ourselves like nobody's business. They won't know the difference at all," Apollo nodded.

"Well, your ass stays here. The others, yes. I understand what you're saying," Alex nodded back. He carefully removed his hand from the tank and sighed. "Leave the dead babies alone. We'll let Agatha deal with them when she's ready. As for the living fetus...well...we'll have to see. I'm going to tend to her."

"Have the females hatched for my sons?" Hedeyasu asked.

"They just did when I left. They already went to find them. The girl for Tsuneo chose the name Shinatobe. The one for Toshimichi wanted Benzaiten. It's funny. They look almost identical in hair, body, and features. But, Shinatobe has Robert's eyes. Benzaiten has Agatha's eyes. Those two could almost be twins," Alex chuckled.

"I shall find them and congratulate them later," Hedeyasu smiled.

"Good. Commander, I'm going to head back to Agatha," Alex said.

"That's fine. What's going to happen to those other men?" Robert asked.

"Sakuma will talk to them," Dionysus said. "Amaterasu just informed me."

"Very good," Hedeyasu nodded. "I'll work with Ragland on more viral strains for the Hunters we have. We seem to be making good progress! Now that we know what is going on with these fetal tissues, we won't work on them anymore."

"Good call," Alex nodded. "Let me know if anything interesting comes up."

At the consenting nod, Alex sped off to find Agatha. She was curled up in Nick's arms. She was shivering with revulsion at what had happened to her piece. The drone nodded to Alex and let him take over. It moved to guard the door to room on the inside.

"So...there was no other sperm involved? It was just...all me?" she frowned.

"That's what it looks like," Alex nodded, as he cradled her. Kim brought in a large Hunter steak and let Alex take over in feeding his mate. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'll be better when I get all my stolen parts," she muttered between bites.

"We'll get them all back. You have my vow. I won't rest until you're whole. You know this. I will always tell you this. Don't worry," he said gently. She nodded, finished off the steak and snuggled into his chest. He already had his best scout drones in the Russian base. He was already learning everything he needed to know.


	70. Chapter 70

Tsuneo could only stare at the slender, delicately formed flower of a girl that introduced herself. Her somewhat large, steel grey eyes were as mesmerizing as the long, black locks that easily covered her nude form under the pale purple kimono. Toshimichi was already becoming familiar with Benzaiten in a far more instinctive way. He simply couldn't wait.

"Are you not pleased?" Shinatobe smiled softly.

"I am...speechless..." Tsuneo swallowed. "I can't believe that I got talked into this..."

"I am made for you," she whispered in flawless Japanese. Now he stared at her in shock again. "Whatever you should wish of me, I shall do what I can."

He was still holding doubts about everything. On gleaning the hive link, she smiled warmly, moved close to him, and kissed him. That sealed off any other doubts rather quickly. With new Queens quickly underway, Alex was brooding in the bedroom over the fetus that was thriving in the weakened piece of Agatha. She had another three hours before her eggs were birthed. How was that fetus going to work? At a knock on the door, Robin let in Osiris.

"My Emperor," Osiris said with a small grin. He carried in a flat package with brown paper covering. "Anubis and Bastet did some shopping for me. To help Nick out."

"Fucking lovely," Alex snorted. "Just leave it along the wall. Nick will check it later."

"You don't want to see what they got?" he smirked.

"Fuck you. No," Alex muttered. Osiris laughed softly. "I'm too worried about that living baby in that piece. I don't know what it will do to Agatha. You should be concerned over this, too. We can't remove it. We don't know how it will affect her. She's never carried a child. She can only make eggs. If she can't carry it, or make it into an egg..."

"We may have to remove it from her, if it comes to it," Osiris frowned. He pulled up a chair and leaned back in it. "Maybe we can transplant it into an egg? Or the receiving tube she was in? I honestly wouldn't know."

"Tell me about it," he agreed. "We're all clueless when it comes to this."

"There were over a hundred fetuses that we carried out. All of them failed. All of them dissected. What more is there for us to say?" Osiris grimaced. "Fucking waste. All of it."

"No shit," Alex grumbled. When Agatha blinked awake with a small stretch, she winced at her belly stretching with her. At who was in the room, she sighed.

"What are the two of you bitching about?" she muttered.

"A gift for Nick to help you, and, ah, that living fetus," Osiris shrugged.

"I can understand the fetus, but something for Nick?" she asked. Alex rolled his eyes, as the package was now reached for. At the contents it held, her jaw dropped. "Are you fucking kidding me?! What the fuck are you thinking?!"

"It's all experimental, Mother," Osiris winked. "We all want you to be as happy as possible. That's all."

"And what's this?" she asked when she pulled out a vial of blood.

"Ah. We found a male that closely resembled Nick. A gift from Japan," he grinned.

"Good. Clone the fucker now. Get another clone of Leopold going and put that on ice. What the...edible body paint?!" Alex blinked. "Dark chocolate flavor..."

"Alex, what are you...ah..." her mind blanked out when he smeared a touch on her neck and nibbled it off. Osiris barked out laughter at that.

"You. Out. Now," Alex growled at the breeder male. "I just figured out what I'm going to do for the next three hours. You're on your own."

"Of course, my Emperor," he grinned. As he walked out of the room, he paused at a thought from Cronus. Now that a similar box was to be sent to him from Anubis, he listened to something else that was on the young King's mind. Thinking back that a drone was already going to play as personal toy and bodyguard, the King seemed to scowl. When the link dropped, Osiris realized something else. This was the true reason as to why Nick was stationed. Alex knew that every new King that was created was going to try and be with Agatha.

"That's a stickler," Dionysus snorted when he walked over. "I heard your thoughts just now. It's also why our Emperor is sending them off. Eir is almost ready for her King. She's a few days away. Our Emperor would have to be here before the King is claimed. Even hatched. If Mother is alone when that King comes around..."

"Shut up," Osiris muttered. "Hariti will keep her daughter occupied. Our Emperor will want to meet any new King, anyways. Robin won't leave that door. The drone's impervious to the freezer, too. Kim and Aden will also be close by. Eddie is always on watch. Drones don't sleep. If we have to, we'll help them keep any new Kings at bay."

"True," Dionysus nodded. "Any idea on what to think about that fetus?"

"I'm as clueless as everyone else," Osiris admitted with a sigh. "We'll just have to wait and see. I'll send out a few calls to Site One to stir them up. Any news on the Japanese men?"

"They all gave in to Sakuma's speech. True, they did agree to join up from Hedeyasu, but some got doubts. After Sakuma talked to them, they are now permanently fixated on helping us. He had them all sign contracts of sorts, too. Japanese tend to be all about paperwork and honorable promises. Most are in the mess room or figuring out what chores they can do. There's eight of them, including that Fumio guy. I think Frigg has a fondness for him. So does Ran," Dionysus grinned. "We have enough studs for now. Thankfully."

"Frankie wanted to go to Frigg. He'll have to reinstate that with her," Osiris smirked.

"He'll have his work cut out for him," he chuckled.

"Anyways, we have roughly three hours to kill. I'd fuck Isis, but then I'd have to wait for her to give birth. Hmm. There are other ways around mating, come to think of it," Osiris grinned wickedly. Dionysus rose a brow and decided to test a few theories on Athena. Right after three hours flew by, Agatha had finally given birth. Alex was now quite fond of edible body paint, and new plans to get more were done.

"Are you ready?" Alex asked her when she was dressed properly.

"I suppose," she sighed. "Zeus...I am worried."

"So am I, Hera," he muttered and kissed her. "Don't worry. I'm not leaving your side until I know you're safe."

"I love you," she swallowed.

"I love you," he smiled confidently and led her to the lab. She took only two steps in when her body stiffened with rage. She needed her parts back. Alex backed away when her hair became the tendrils needed to start going through each fetal jar.

"What is she doing?!" Hedeyasu gaped when he walked out of the main lab.

"Leave her alone," Alex warned. "She's reclaiming herself."

"Just stand aside," Ragland said lightly. "We don't want her to attack us when she's in this mood. Let her do what she must."

"Right," Hedeyasu nodded. Every fetal jar was now empty, save for the left over solution they were holding. When she finally reached the piece of herself, she studied it carefully. She was trying to figure out the best way to approach it. When a tendril of hair touched her piece, it paused. She sensed the life in it. Now other tendrils joined the first to cocoon around it and carefully consume it. When her hair reverted to normal, she seemed to sigh. Then she collapsed to her knees in pain. Her arms were folded over her belly to show where the pain was. The fetus was trying to take to her womb. Her body was now fighting it off. She could only make eggs. A full-term baby was something her body simply couldn't process.

"Agatha!" Alex hissed.

"Remove it!" she cried out with a gasp. "Please! Remove it! Now! I'm...on fire!"

"Mother?!" Dionysus said when he ran in. Then he paused and put his hands on his head. Alex could only stare in shock. The fiery pain she felt was now affecting the link they had with her. The fetus was killing her. If she died, so did the breeders and all the other viral children she created.

"Shit!" Alex growled. Ragland and Hedeyasu were overcome with their own headaches from the blood they had from her. They couldn't help him. He cleared off a surgical table, placed her on it, and now performed the cesarean on his own. He knew where to cut, what to remove, and how to piece her back together. A drone of his came out with an empty egg to put the fetus into. Kim was there with a heavy steak for Agatha the moment she was ready to eat it.

On watching the small fetus able to adapt to the empty egg, he had the drone stand aside with it. He patched up his mate carefully and watched the others start to come around when the pain left. Dionysus was not happy.

"That was...interesting..." the breeder male winced.

"Are you all right?" Alex asked.

"I will be. I just need to eat something," he admitted.

"Go eat. Heal up. The fetus was able to take to an egg. We need to watch it grow. Agatha? Are you okay?" Alex now asked his mate.

"I feel...so weak..." she shivered. At the steak presented, it was easily demolished. Another would be given to her in the bedroom. On looking at the fetus, she seemed to glare. "That...will be consumed...when it hatches..."

"Will it?" Alex frowned.

"I must," she frowned back. "It's still me. I can't have another...like myself out there...you know? It would be instinctive...to kill it. To reclaim it. I can't take it now. I have to wait until it matures. It may try to replace me. To be better than me. I can't take that chance. I can be the only one that reigns. And that reminds me. You said that there was a successful hybrid of me made, right? In Russia?"

"Yes," Alex nodded.

"I have to go with you. I have to kill it personally," she said with a shiver of hatred.

"No," he growled.

"Alex, I must!" she growled back. "I have to prove that I am the better! If another goes to kill for me, it proves nothing! Granted, getting my piece is one thing. Killing off another breeding version of myself is another! Clones of myself that cannot breed is fine for you to kill off for me in my stead. But, another breeding version of myself is another matter completely! I have to kill this one. Me."

"Can we tranquilize it and bring it back?" Alex asked now. "I really don't want you to be discovered at all costs. This way you can kill it. We have a room that we let Hunters loose in to test them all the time. You can kill that thing in there in the safety of this base. Will that work?"

"I suppose," she sighed. "As long as I get to kill it. And it has to be recovered of the drugs given. I need to give it a fighting chance."

"Done," he nodded. "What of the offspring?"

"Kill them, but bring me their hearts," she said. "The Queen bitch is the one that I have to kill. She is my quarry."

"Agreed," he nodded again. The plans would be done. As much as he wanted to stay with her, he had to leave for Russia now. Nick was already waiting in the bedroom to take over. The drone was planning to have Agatha test each new item to see what she liked best. Alex rolled his eyes at the items on the bed, but he knew it was all for her. At the passionate kiss they shared next, he forced himself away. He had to take care of Russia. Then he wanted to hit China. The moment they quarantined the Queen Hunter, China would be seen to.

"We're ready," Osiris nodded to him. Isis was still amazed at what could be done with her without a full mating, but she pushed aside the thoughts. It was time for action.

"Good. Let's go," Alex nodded. As they went into the submarine, Alex's thought went to that single fetus in the egg. It was going to be quarantined and monitored at all times. There was no choice in it.


	71. Chapter 71

On the way to Russia, Osiris was going over the floor plans in full. They had stopped by the island to grab Hermanubis and Sigyn first. If they were left behind, they would have been extremely pissed, and their help was invaluable. Once in the air, they went over the Russian base details. The entire structure was hidden inside a mountain. The entrance was at the very top of it. It was much like an ant hill. There was only one other way in, and that was the vehicle entrance five miles out. Both entrances were heavily monitored.

The mountain was, actually, fully solid steel with specialized detail work done on the outside. Plants were planted in with incredible care to make it look realistic. The mountain height was ten stories tall. As a precaution, all of the lab work was done under the mountain. There were fourteen levels in total, and it was one of the largest bases. Each level sported almost twenty rooms. The first ten levels made up the mountain. The other four levels were below ground. The very last level was where the infestation was taking place.

When Osiris called as Commander John, he was told that the thirteenth level was in the process of being infiltrated. The Hunters learned and evolved. As much as Hermanubis was excited at the chance to finally hunt down worthy prey, he knew the risks. Then, on a whim, he asked, "Do you think they have their own hive mind?"

"If they do, that's fucked up," Alex growled. "When we land, what would be the first thing to do? Where is that Hunter we sent over as a present?"

"It's waiting by the docking station. The one five miles out," Osiris said. "But, now I'm curious. I wonder what would happen if we created our own breeding Hunters. Not with Mother, of course. But, say...with another strand of female DNA?"

"I wouldn't," Alex snorted. "The last thing we need is another viral take-over that doesn't belong to our faction. We'll stick with the island Hunters. They get bigger and meaner. Smarter, too. There's no need to create our own new breed."

"Brother love is right, though," Isis thought. "It's always fun to kill them all in the end."

"If any of them escape," Alex muttered. "we have more work to do."

"But, if we send an impregnated viral Hunter to the base in question," Hermanubis thought with a grin. "We have enough drones to keep tabs on it."

"Sure. And then the drones get discovered and our cover's blown. No," Alex said again. "And, I'm sure your mother would say the same thing."

"She does," Sigyn chuckled. "The last thing she wants us to do is clean up our own mess. She likes what our Emperor says. Go in, kill everything with mild distractions, grab what we need to grab, and leave."

"Maybe after the bases are destroyed we'll make our own pet Hunters. Until then, it's not gonna happen," Alex said. Osiris blinked at something that Alex said. Now Hermanubis had his own eyes light up with a form of amusement.

"Pet Hunters," Isis said softly. "Father saw a movie once. Gremlins, I think. Little monsters that would purposely sabotage things from the inside out. Wouldn't it be sort of...oh, I don't know...interesting if we could make our own little monsters?"

"Your mother and your father make the lot of you. You're all little monsters," Alex grinned. That got them all laughing with agreement. "A bunch of fucked up, psychopathic freaks of nature. Anyways, let that Hunter loose. I have a hunch that it may try to muscle its way into the base to reach the other Hunters there. If we can have it do most of the dirty work for us, all we would have to do is clean up after it. Osiris could tell them that it could be a 'large male' and wants to fuck that breeder Hunter down there."

"There's a Hunter hiding out near China, too," Osiris smirked. "We have our drones ready to release that one when we give the signal."

"The moment we have the breeding Hunter bitch, let that one loose. Heh. I just thought of something hilarious," Alex grinned wickedly.

"What?" Hermanubis grinned back.

"Tattoo 'Made in China' on that fucker's back," Alex grinned a bit more. That got them all roaring with laughter. It would have to be done.

"That's one way of telling them all to stick it," Osiris said with a snickering laugh.

"So, right after we finish here, we go to China?" Isis asked.

"Yes. We can keep the breeding Hunter bitch under lock and key. And drugs. Oh, if that thing is pregnant, make sure to abort whatever is in her. I don't want that thing to give birth on a submarine. That would just piss me off," Alex muttered. They could all understand that.

"We're almost there," Osiris said lightly. "Our drones have already secured where we need to be. Various officials will be there to help us get into the base. As for the Hunter, well, let's just say that it's another thing they have to deal with. However, I think that, instead of letting it get into the base, we simply kill it to show how adept we are in helping them cleanse the base out. What do you think?"

"That may work out better. Then, away from prying eyes, we can cleanse the humans out. I like that," Alex mused. "Let's do that."

"Done," Osiris nodded. When the helicopter reached its destination, they saw the Hunter already causing havoc down below. Alex grinned, shifted into a soldier guise, and jumped right out of the helicopter. When the fighting soldiers gaped in complete shock at how accurately he jumped onto the Hunter's back to simply pierce through it like a bullet, they were speechless. They were even more speechless when they watched Alex climb back into the Hunter to rip it apart from the inside.

The massive Hunter collapsed to the ground, and its head got kicked out with a sickening 'pop' of its neck getting severed. Alex casually pushed the dismembered head away like a door. He was covered in blood, entrails, and whatever else made up the Hunter. He was enjoying everything with a sick grin of satisfaction.

As the drones readied themselves to clean up the mess in the guise of other soldiers, the helicopter landed easily. Osiris came out in his disguise. The others were also in mild disguises.

"Who is that?!" a top-ranking official barked out.

"Our secret weapon against the fuckers in there!" Osiris snapped. "Report!"

"The last two levels are gone. The bastards are working their way up!" the man cringed.

"Get us in there! Was anyone evacuated?" Osiris asked. Several jeeps appeared to take them into the base. "Are they all still in lock down?"

"We evacuated civilians and scientists," the man reported. Isis sent out a mental command through the hive link to find the survivors and round them up. The drones would handle that. It was time to go into the base. Unbeknownst to the human soldiers, the drones were setting up small explosives in the tunnel to the base. The moment Alex and his escorts were done, the base was going to be destroyed like the others.

"Hmm," Alex mused to himself. He ignored the humans around him. He even ignored Osiris in a casual way. It was expected of him. He was there to only do his job of cleaning out infestations. He proved his point with the Hunter. It was a good call to do that. As much as he would have enjoyed watching the Hunter tear into the base for him, it helped to show that he was there to do a job that no one else wanted to do. At a tap to his shoulder, he glanced at Hermanubis in his disguise. At the look of mischief, he knew the breeder male wanted to pick a small fight. He knew the breeder male was going to lose.

"So, how long have you been popping the cherries on those things?" Hermanubis asked.

"Longer than you were a sperm in your daddy's sack," Alex grunted. That got harsh snickers all around them. He also knew that it was a solid truth. "Now shut the fuck up and let me think on how to do my fucking job."

"Max," Osiris said to Alex. The name was just a ruse, as usual. "Everything is under this base. There's only one safe way in, and that's the ventilation shaft."

"Fine. Retard. You're coming with me," Alex said to Hermanubis.

"I'm not a retard," the breeder male snorted.

"You are for asking bullshit questions," Alex snorted back. "Besides, I need a meat shield if something goes wrong. You fit the bill."

"Fuck that!" Hermanubis scoffed.

"Do as he says, Private," Osiris growled dangerously. "We can't fuck this up."

"Yes, Sir," he sighed. He was actually eating all of this up. Alex was handed a blueprint map, and he studied it intensely. He was shown where the ventilation shaft started and ended.

"Well, isn't this a nice goat fuck..." Alex growled. "I would end up in the dead center of the floor? Not along the walls?"

"Not in this base," Osiris said grimly. Alex swore softly and acted like he was overlooking his weapons. When they still had a ways to go from their slow pace in the tunnel, he focused on Nick to see what Agatha was up to. The drone had Agatha in a comatose state of bliss. That was what he liked to see. As long as she was kept satisfied and happy, then I don't have to worry about her going to another. Giving a small nod to himself, he glanced up to see where they were.

Another five minutes more of patient waiting passed, and they were finally at the base. Alex got off the small car and moved straight over to the control room. At the man there, he said, "I'm the exterminator. Where are the bugs?"

"All the way below us," the man said. When the soldier turned to move and had his back to Alex, he found himself gutted in half.

"Thanks for the info," Alex smirked. Isis was quick to walk in and take over the man in full to glean his memories. Nodding to him that she was ready to help, they checked their ear bud communicators. With that in place, she sat down and took the man's form. Osiris was ready to help escort Alex to where his mother's piece was.

"I had my drones move it," he muttered lightly under his breath. "This way."

"Good," Alex muttered back. He was led to where a basic freezer was, and the container was carefully removed by one of his drones. The lid was carefully opened, and Alex dipped his hand into the semi-frozen solution. He seemed to hiss out his disgust. The piece was in complete distress from the slow thawing. The container was originally in a specialized room that chilled fully. The solution could only freeze in that chamber. Out of it, the thawing was happening. A basic freezer couldn't freeze it. The piece was fine, but it could feel cold.

"Mother...!" Osiris winced at what he heard. "She can feel this piece of her!"

"Hush. It's okay," Alex soothed. "We'll warm you up soon. Take the piece to the car. Use a heater, if you have to. Warm this bucket up as much as you can. If you can get it to the helicopter, I'd prefer that, instead. I see it's disguised to look like a paint bucket. Good. Keep it like that. The rest of her is being used in that Hunter?"

"Yes. Mother needs any hearts from offspring Hunters, right?" Osiris asked. Then he blinked. "She told me she does. She's adamant on killing the Queen."

"That's fine. We told her we would. How many drones are in this base? I have about fifty of mine here," Alex smirked.

"I have about the same," Osiris nodded.

"Good. Tell them to drop disguises and start killing!" Alex hissed out now. They wasted no time. The moment the screams started, the security lock down truly started up. Alex had his claws out and shredded down door after door of solid steel. Osiris made sure to block off any oncoming bullets with his shield. Hermanubis took out any from a distance with his whip. Sigyn made herself useful by picking off the survivors that escaped them. Isis remained in the control room chair to guide Alex through. Several drones acted as guards to keep any from getting to her, as she guided the others through the base.

"The ventilation duct you need is four levels below you. When you get into it, you can bypass several levels. It's up to you, my Emperor," Isis said.

"Well, either we kill them all on the way up, or we kill them all on the way down. I doubt the breeding bitch will be able to fit in a narrow tube. Fuck it. We'll slaughter everything as we go. No defenses?" Alex mused.

"None. All of it was at the main entrance. That was where we were when the cars came in. The tunnel we were in actually had a slow climb up to the mountain's peak. Crazy, huh?" she chuckled. "So, we already took care of it."

"Rather stupid way to build," Hermanubis snorted.

"Doesn't fucking matter. We got in," Alex muttered. "Spread out. Kill anything that moves that isn't a piece of your mother. Go."

"Done," Osiris nodded and bolted. Sigyn ran up to Alex to talk to him.

"Isis was half right. We're on the fifth level. We have five levels below us before we can even touch the four that are underground. The drones are already cleaning the place out," she said. "We had quite a few at the entrance already. It's secured."

"Excellent. Let's keep moving," he nodded. He went ahead and dropped his disguise. He didn't need it anymore. She nodded back and launched ahead of him to skewer a soldier that tried to pull a weapon. It was a simple walk through the levels now. There were so many drones that infiltrated the base in such a short time that he had nothing to do. When he got to the floor before the eleventh level entrance, he paused. He heard someone pleading to live. Smirking, he turned to the sound and walked into a small chamber. What he saw made him think hard.

A man was strapped into an electric chair. It was hooked up to various machines and computers as though to monitor voltage. The man looked like a wreck. He muttered in Russian before focusing his gaze on Alex. "Have you...come to...kill me...?"

"Maybe," Alex said in English. He could speak Russian, but he chose not to. On hearing the language spoken, the man coughed.

"Help...please..." the man begged. He was shaved bald and practically hairless from all the experiments. His muscles seemed to be straining in the machine. "They...use me...to see if I can...work with...things here..."

"I can tell. And...how would you be of use to me?" Alex mused. "I'm Project Zeus. The Blacklight virus. I came here to rescue someone that I give a shit about. And to kill the infestation that happened here. Why should I let you live?"

"Please..." the man begged. "I will...help you...any way...that I can..."

"Interesting. Hmm," Alex thought again. He formed his claws and cut the man free of his bonds. "We'll see if you can keep your word. It would be nice to have a stud male of Russian descent. Okay. You've peaked my interest. Isis! Have the drones take this man to the cars. Dig up anything you can about him. I have to disable a bitch Queen."

"Yes, my Emperor," she said in the communicator. When the drones appeared to take the man away, Alex was momentarily lost in thought. He focused on Nick and reported the find. The drone now sent back that Agatha was interested. She would want to see this possible stud male. Nodding slightly to himself, Alex now descended to the eleventh floor.

When he got here, another sound made him pause. It was the whimpering sound of a child. Narrowing his eyes, he walked over and pulled away the metal structure the child hid behind. It was a girl, and she appeared to be about ten years old. Dark brown hair that was clipped shoulder-length framed her feminine squared chin. Light brown eyes gazed up at him with a form of fear. He couldn't detect Agatha on her at all.

"What is your name?" Alex asked calmly. When she didn't respond, he sighed and knelt down to be eye-level with her. Now that she couldn't speak English, he snorted. "What is your name, child? Cooperate with me, and you will live through this day."

"Vera," she said with a hesitant whimper.

"Where are your parents, Vera?" he asked calmly.

"Dead," she whimpered harder. "I...saw them...die..."

"Did they die here?"

"No. I was...um...brought here...as an orphan...for charity..."

"Do you know where they died?"

"It was two years ago. I...I can't remember..." she shivered. Sighing hard, he thought to Nick. He wanted Agatha's opinion. His mate wanted the girl to live. The girl was likely brought to the base to grow up to be used as an experimental female. Agatha didn't want that of her at all. She felt that the child could grow up with them to accept them and become a breeder female like Dana. It would be a much kinder future to her compared to what was in store for her.

"Would you like to come and live with me and my family? This place will be destroyed soon. You will be cared for. You will go to a special school. You can have a new family. What do you think? Is it something you would like?" Alex asked carefully.

"Will I have...a new Mother? A new Father?" she asked. "I never...had that here..."

"Of course," he chuckled. She gave a small cry and launched into his arms to hug him. He hugged her back, but only because this girl was likely going to produce new Queens. He would show that he cared for her by this much. "I may not be the one that you can call father, but you can see me as a brother. Okay? There is another that can be like a father to you. You will meet him in time. I have men nearby that will take you to safety."

"Okay," she nodded. This was proof that a virus could show compassion when it was needed. She would defend him this way in that field. When several drones showed up as soldiers, she gasped and snuggled into Alex's chest. When they dropped their disguises, she actually seemed a bit relieved. Now Alex paused in thought.

"Vera...was it soldiers that killed your family?" he asked. At her look of intense sadness, he hugged her again with solid understanding. "There are soldiers that live with us, but not like the ones here, okay? They only use the look of soldiers as disguises. We are...not really human. But, we live with humans. In time, you will understand more. You will rest in safety and get cleaned up. Don't worry. If anything happens to you, I will know first. I have plenty of children. You could even say that the men here are also my children. We are a very big secret, and I want you to be a part of this secret. You will become very special to us. Okay?"

"Okay. I can keep secrets," she smiled. Now she moved from him to the drone to get lifted up and carried away.

"My Emperor?" Hermanubis asked when he finally walked over.

"The girl was orphaned when her parents got shot down in front of her two years ago. Your mother wants her to live. Her name is Vera. We can see how kids will accept us with her. Treat her like another Queen for now," Alex ordered.

"Understood," Hermanubis nodded and sent the word through the hive link. Another viable female would always prove useful in the long run, too.

"We need to get to the thirteenth floor. Now," Alex growled. "Are there any other distractions waiting for us?"

"No. We have drones fighting off the offspring to give you a clear shot at the Hunter Queen. We can spray down your claws with drugs to immobilize her, if you can get a good hit in. We have all of that ready for you," Osiris said.

"Fine. The clock's ticking. Let's move!" Alex said, as he charged forward. All of the rooms were cleaned out and empty. The drones made sure to let him get a solid path to where he needed to go. When he got to the thirteenth floor at last, he noticed the containers of Hunter hearts being collected in a neat and orderly fashion. They were ready for transport, and many were already being sent to the surface. He continued to stride forward and ignored the heavy slabs of Hunter meat being harvested. Those would be fed to Agatha exclusively. Each steak did have some of her DNA, but it wasn't enough for her to feel upset over. She would eat the flesh in due time for her pregnancies. Maybe even while he was going after bases.

When he reached the fourteenth level, the drones were thick here from all the fighting. Alex smirked, unsheathed his claws, and roared out his challenge when he joined the fray. When the first Hunter offspring he killed on his own fell effortlessly to his attack, the other offspring there paused. They did have a hive link. They now saw Alex as the new threat.

As the Hunter offspring now threw themselves at him, Alex neatly sliced through each one. He didn't even break a sweat. When one was left alive, he walked over rather calmly.

"You aren't going to kill it?" Hermanubis smirked and picked up a heart.

"Not yet," Alex muttered, as he strode over to the cowering offspring. "Fuck head. Where is your mother? And don't think that you can't understand me. I know you can."

The Hunter seethed at him, but it turned its head to the door behind it. Then it charged into the door to plow it down. When Alex approached with Osiris, Hermanubis and Sigyn, they all paused. The Hunter Queen was massive. She took over half of the spacious fifty-foot chamber easily from height alone. Her girth took up the rest of the twenty-five feet of room. And she was pregnant. Heavily pregnant. Alex looked up and grinned wickedly at the fifty some-odd Hunters that were ready to fall on him from the ceiling.

"They knew we were coming," Osiris grinned.

"Think we can take them all?" Hermanubis asked with an eager hiss.

"I don't think. I know. Sigyn. You have a job. Perform a cesarean. You have ten minutes," Alex grinned a bit more. Sigyn braced herself for the challenge. She was all for it.

"Bonus points if that bitch is still able to feel the pain?" she asked.

"Definitely," Alex nodded without looking at her. Now the Hunter Queen screamed out her defiance, and her offspring started the attack. It was over in two minutes. They were all neat little whirlwinds of death and destruction. The offspring had no chance.

"Gather up the hearts," Osiris directed the drones.

"The bitch is pinned down?" Alex mused, and he got his claws hosed down with drugs.

"And baby free," Sigyn chuckled. She had pulled out the ovaries and the uterus already. The drones were dispatching the fetal offspring easily. The Hunter Queen was livid, in a form of intense pain, and pinned down easily with the weight of almost a hundred drones. "Now that's interesting. My Emperor, this Hunter Queen is regenerating her reproductive organs!"

"Hmm. Okay. Sigyn, you will continuously rip them out when they reform. Can we get this bitch out of here?" Alex frowned. He walked over to the screaming Hunter and sunk his claws into the thick back muscles several times over the heart. When the body fell still to surrender to an unconscious sleep, he evaluated the chamber. "Isis! Can you hear me?"

"Yes, my Emperor," she said over the communication piece. "We're in luck. The chamber is part of an elevator shaft. I'll activate it now."

"Do that. I don't know how we are going to get this whore to your mother," Alex frowned. "I don't want her to come here."

"The solution may be in front of us," Osiris said. "The body is shrinking."

"What?" Alex blinked.

"Mother's body had a specialized womb for eggs," Sigyn said. "The Hunter Queen didn't have that. Need to make more offspring? Need a bigger womb? Grow larger, right? Now that the reproductive organs are gone, there's no need for a larger body. We'll see how much this thing can shrink."

"Interesting," Alex mused. He felt the room shift, as the elevator was finally activated. "Something tells me that this chamber was one giant storage box. To deliver to someone that they didn't like. But, when it got out of control, they couldn't chance anything."

"You're right," Isis said. "The ceiling is a door. The records say that the Hunter was breeding out of control. Much like how Mother can with drones, but the offspring were born and ready to kill. They didn't have eggs."

"True," Sigyn said and gestured to the fetuses. When the room finally reached the surface, Alex paused at the size of the Hunter Queen now. She was Agatha's size and height. It was clearly a hybrid offshoot of her.

"Good. Keep the thing zoned out. We have to hit China. Fill this chamber with explosives and send it back down. We need to move!" Alex ordered sharply. "Grab all of the hearts! Even the ones from the fetuses!"

"Done," Hermanubis said. The drones already tackled that job.

"Send the hearts to our main base. The bitch Queen stays with us under drugs and monitoring. Take the girl to the base, too. Keep the man with us, though. Just in case," Alex said. He could trust a child without him. Children were easy to keep in control. He didn't know about a grown man that was subject to experiments.

"Yes, my Emperor," Osiris nodded. "Do you want me to ready the drones in China?"

"Yes. Do that now," Alex nodded back. The ragged man was in the helicopter already. Vera was taken to a submarine through the tunnel to be transported away. Containers of hearts and slabs of Hunter meat were now set up in the submarine, too, and Agatha's piece was also mixed in with the containers. Ragland would know what to look for. So would Hariti.

As the base now blew up behind them, the helicopter carried the group to China. He already had the Hunter awoken to cause havoc, and Osiris was on the phone as Commander John to inform them that he was on his way. Now that drones were infiltrating that base neatly, he could sit back and focus on what to expect there.


	72. Chapter 72

Agatha was very curious about the child being brought to her. Nick continued to relax with her in the bed and kept her in contact with Alex. They didn't want Vera to meet with Agatha until Alex was present to monitor her. Robert agreed to greet her as a new father figure and help her settle in. Even Sakuma wanted to be an older brother to her. Any child recruited into the fold would be instantly seen to as family.

"That poor girl," Agatha frowned.

"Don't worry, Hera. We'll take care of her," Nick smiled. The drone was in the cloned human form. They were lucky to find a man that closely resembled Nick in face and form. The eyes the man held were dark brown, and the hair was softer, but that was fine.

"I know. So, what is Zeus doing now?" she asked.

"My Liege plans to go to China. He's in the area and wants to get it done. He already has the blueprints from the drones there. It shouldn't take too long."

"And he will be back after that?"

"Yes. We are also preparing the chamber to help you kill the abomination."

"Good," she growled. "If there is another found in China, you bring that bitch, too!"

"That will be done. Don't worry about that."

"The nerve of those fuckers! Using me like that..." she said with a hard frowned. She blinked at the touch of edible body paint suddenly planted on her neck for the drone to clean off. It was the only way to divert her thoughts.

"Don't worry, Hera," Nick growled and moved over her.

"How can I not worry?" she asked.

"By focusing on me," the drone grinned and had her do just that. When the afterglow of pleasure settled in, Agatha suddenly gasped and sat up. "Hera?"

"It's Cronus! He's adamant in being here! Despite the risks!" she cringed.

"He's dead," Nick said coldly. At another thought, the drone looked at her. "Why? Why does he choose to come now?"

"He feels that...that Zeus isn't here enough for me anymore. That I am not properly being comforted and protected," she winced. Now Alex peered through the drone to look at her.

"Hera. Tell that fucking dipshit of a King everything that I'm going to say," Nick said in a rather calm, seething tone. At her small nod, the drone leaned in close. "I am Zeus. I am here. If not in body, it is through my drone. If I fucking have to, I will force this drone to evolve into a replica of myself in both skill and attack. If Hera is touched, the one that touched her will die. Cronus, you are bonded to Rea. If you leave her side, she will choose another King. If you don't want that to happen, you fucking stay put! And,  _if you dare_  to go against my order at any time, your life is forfeit! Do. Not. Cross. Me."

"You gave him chills. He just backed down," Agatha nodded.

"I'd say to block him off, but you might kill him," Nick snorted. Alex was still in the mind of the drone, and now he wasn't leaving it. Agatha could only tremble with a form of relief that her mate was able to do this. It reconciled her thoughts completely. "Do not hold doubts that I won't come back to you, Hera. I'll make sure to always come back to you."

"I love you, Zeus," she smiled.

"You know I love you, too, Hera," Nick smiled and kissed her hard. At the sight of another steak being brought in by Kim, Agatha was quick to sit up to eat. When she noticed that the texture was different, she was told that it was from the offspring Hunters. Then she curled her lip back and took a savage bite into it. It was as though she was attacking the flesh. The way she ate and growled as she did it would almost remind one of a savage wolf feeding and claiming a kill. Nick was now informed of a new order.  _Have her eat all of the accumulated steak. Now._

"I will get you more, my Empress," Kim nodded and left quickly. Now Alex studied her through Nick silently.  _Apparently, any DNA that she discovered needed to be reclaimed if it was hers. And, with each new steak she consumed, she began to get stronger. But, as she got stronger, she began to develop a complication. Her body was deteriorating faster._  Alex noticed this through his drone and halted the meat supply to her. She ate four rather large steaks already, and the order to feed her was detained. He was worried about her, but he had to show it a different way.

"No more for now," Nick said curtly. "Wait until I return."

"What?" Agatha frowned.

"Hera, with each steak you eat, I noticed you got...weaker. You need a fresh DNA cell when I come back. We'll feed you other flesh to pass the time. Don't look at me like that! Even you know what will happen with a fresh cell now. I need to reclaim you. To prove that you are mine in full again. I can't do it through a drone. We'll feed you swordfish. Deer. Pork. Other meats. No more of that Hunter meat for now."

"Okay," she sighed and reclined on the soft pillow.

"I'm sure that, once you have all of your parts back, this won't be too much of an issue. But, think about it," Nick said carefully and pulled her close. "You're consuming old DNA. It will work your body in reverse. A fresh cell sort of, re-energizes your original cells."

"Oh! I didn't see it like that!" she blinked.

"Exactly. So, we will have you consume a fresh cell before you fight that bitch Queen, okay? After you're well again, you will kill her. I'll stay in the room to back you up. I will only interfere if she tries to play dirty," Nick grinned.

"Much like how she tried to throw her kids at you?" Agatha smirked.

"And failed," Nick grinned even more.

"I want Zeus to promise me something," she said with a soft swallow.

"What would that be?"

"I need him to come back here after China. I miss him terribly, Nick. I know he is there through you, but I need him  _here_."

"Don't worry. That was already the plan," Nick grinned. At her blushing smile, the drone chuckled. "Make another promise for him to do."

"Okay. Help me kick that Hunter bitch when the fucker's down," she growled.

"He likes that promise," Nick said with a wicked grin.

"I am a bit curious though, but I think it's from my children being Zeus's companions when they go out," she smiled. "I was told that only Hermes could become other human forms. Isis just became the clone of another man in that last base. Didn't she?"

"Ah...shit..." Nick blinked. "Isis held Lynette's original form. Didn't she?"

"She did," Agatha frowned. She thought to her daughter and sighed. "She did lose the body, but there is enough fresh blood for her to use a clone."

"Now...that's interesting!" Nick blinked at Alex's thought. "She didn't lose Lynette's form! She still has it as a backup! Ah! That was a skill she gained while being with my Liege. She can keep a form in reserve. She can use another form as a temporary way to get by."

"That could prove incredibly useful," Agatha beamed.

"From what they can tell," Nick mused. "Hermanubis has two attacks now. Osiris does, too, but he can also feel out your parts. Isis now has a second form option on top of what she already has. Sigyn seems to be much more agile in battle. She's faster. She has now offered to help scout ahead through the bases, if needed."

"It would be nice to take some of my other sons and daughters, too," she smiled. "To give them a chance to increase their expertise and evolve."

"If there is a breeder couple in China, he will offer to let them help," Nick nodded.

"Anhur and Bat are out there," she thought. "Anhur says that he will get the Hunter distraction ready. Bat will see about sending in her drones to start infiltrating with Zeus's drones. They don't live too far off, either."

"Perfect. In another hour, the base will be infiltrated and destroyed," Nick muttered and pulled her close. At her smile, the drone kissed her and claimed her in the human form it held. In the middle of being with her, the drone thought and reached over for the vibrating cock ring. _It wasn't tried yet._


	73. Chapter 73

"Nick is fucking your mother rather hard now," Alex grinned. "Anyways, how far off to China? Are we even remotely close?"

"Another ten minutes, and the base will be reached," Isis said.

"Good. Keep going," he nodded. "How many drones are in the base?"

"Ah..." Osiris blinked. "My Emperor, you're going to laugh."

"What?" Alex asked.

"We can just walk in, if we wanted to," Osiris snickered. Alex rose a brow and grinned wickedly. "Or, we can make it challenging."

"I think a simple walk in, grab what we need, and leave is what we need. I have to get back to your mother. How many humans are left alive?" Alex asked now.

"Just enough to save face. There really aren't that many, now that I think about it. We secured Mother's piece. But...hmm. Okay, there is a problem. Not too big of one, but the piece is protected by drones right now," Osiris frowned.

"Details," Alex ordered.

"Several drones were found. The base is in lockdown, and they are quarantined with the piece. It was a small group that was discovered, though. As to how, a camera suddenly shifted in a non-scheduled rotation and caught them taking over some soldiers. When they got to Mother's piece, the door was bolted and locked. Also, our work is going to be a touch more difficult for the other bases," Isis winced. "Word got out. The remaining bases are now informed that attacks are happening.

"When they tried to contact the other bases and got no response, they knew. However, we do have drones implanted in each base. Quite a few, actually. They say that the news is only told about the Hunter attacks. So, if you think about it, they believe that the bases have become overrun with Hunters. Since the bases go into lockdown, it shuts off all communication as a fail-safe. The others don't know about us visiting right after. Did you want our drones to take over the head officials in charge?"

"I'll have mine do it. I'll know how to make them say what's needed to be said to keep what peace they can. I also believe that once the bases are all destroyed, and all of our bases are inhabited with breeding Kings and Queens, that we can come out of hiding. We will be at our peak. Also, what's going on with that fetus in the egg? The one from your mother's piece?" Alex asked with complete seriousness. "Oh. Never mind. My drone found out. Hmm."

"It's developing swiftly, isn't it?" Sigyn sighed. "And it looks nothing like Mother."

"Well, it wasn't the finished project. The hair looks the same, but the face is different. Agatha's right. She'll have to kill it. She just can't have it develop in her. In my opinion, I think the fetus tried to take her over. Her body rejected it with everything available. If it wasn't for me, I'm sure Agatha would have been killed. At least it's now in a different room with scout drones all over the place. The moment it hatches, she's going to kill it. None of us will be able to stop her," Alex muttered. "She'll be instinctively ingrained to do it."

"My Emperor," Osiris said with a wince. "That fetal egg...it's giving out a painful vibe to my scout drone! Do you feel anything through your drones?"

"No. I don't. I'm too evolved to feel it. My drones can withstand it. But...if you're feeling something..." Alex blinked in thought. "Fuck! We have to get rid of this base and head back! If that thing is going to cause a form a chaos now..."

"Shit," Hermanubis growled. "Mother will have to kill that thing first. Then she'll have to take out the Hunter bitch. There's no other way."

"Or..." Sigyn mused. "can we have the two abominations fight each other? Then Mother can take out the winner?"

"That would be entertaining," Alex admitted with a grin.

"Aw, Hell..." Osiris groaned. "Mother now wants to kill them both. While they are together. I don't know how that will work."

"Are you fucking shitting me?!" Alex scowled. "No! That's too much!"

"She just told you to fuck off," Osiris sighed with a chuckle. Alex seethed and focused on Nick. The drone revealed his mate in her own seething temper of thoughts at everything. Now he ordered Nick to take the initiative to give her a session of mind-blowing sex to keep her preoccupied. The moment the edible body paint was reached for, the fight for control was over.

"I just bought us some time," Alex snorted.

"I know," Isis said with a touch of jealousy.

"Hey," Osiris smirked and sent her a thought. Now Isis found herself blushing hard.

"Don't have mind sex through the hive link!" Hermanubis scowled.

"I don't want to hear what's going on!" Sigyn snapped. Alex rolled his eyes at them and got up when the submarine docked. The moment the door opened, all thoughts of playful sex were tossed aside. It was time to do some dirty work. It was just as well that the drones already had everything under control. The moment Alex appeared with the breeders, the drones dropped their disguises. There were more drones than the humans predicted.

As new chaos emerged from the Hunter that was released, the drones were able to free the trapped ones with Agatha's piece, but they remained where they were. They were in a freezer and didn't want her piece to suffer from thawing. The base was dead the moment the drones were discovered, anyways. When various soldiers were questioned just an hour before, many drones had already slaughtered and consumed the interrogators. Then other drones simply waited in the sidelines for the other human soldiers to appear for questioning. The takeover was far too easy after that. None would have suspected how fast the base defenses went down.

As Alex simply walked into the base, the Hunter changed targets to him. As it leapt at him, Alex merely turned, slashed a clawed hand through its neck, and popped off its head. The breeders paused for a moment to gape.

"Don't fucking cross me," Alex muttered in a savage tone. "Ever."

"Yes, my Emperor," the four of them said as one in a reverent tone. Alex now turned again and sent a mental command to his drones to harvest the meat and any supplies. When he got to where Agatha's piece was being guarded, he glanced over at a wounded soldier. This one was female and struggling to breathe from where she got slashed open.

" _Help..._ " she gasped and coughed out black blood. She was a native Chinese woman, obviously. Her dark brown hair was straggling out of the neat bun it was in, and her slanted brown eyes were glazing over from shock. Alex looked at her and narrowed his eyes. Walking over to her, he knelt down to glare silently.  _She was nearing death and losing focus. She was asking for help._ Musing over something, he took in a deep breath of indecision. He knew she wasn't likely able to know English, and he relented to ask one question.

" _Do you want to live or die?_ " he asked calmly.

" _Please...help..._ " she coughed again. " _Live..._ "

" _If I help you, you must do as I say. Agreed?_ " he said carefully. At her slight nod, he summoned his drones to take her to the submarine. When she was taken away to get as patched up as possible for transport, he resumed his trek through the base. Glancing around casually at the murder and destruction in each room, he noticed that this base was rather straight forward.  _There didn't appear to be any trick rooms._ From what he noticed, living staff was light, defenses were rather heavy to get in, as usual, and genetic research was being done. He just thought there would be more advancement.

On thinking to what his drones knew, his thoughts were rather correct.  _There were only two floors here to conserve on resources and space. Of course, the second floor held what I needed. And, of course, it was the last room that had what I came for. The floors weren't even elaborately done up, either. It was all like a warehouse effect with standard boarding setup for long-term living. It was all rather boring. The bases in Japan and Russia were better designed. Even their projects were elaborate and well underway. The one in Amazon Jungle was no exception, too._ The first base he took out in New Mexico had quite a bit of artillery, now that he thought back. _Why was this base so sparse in design and habitability?_ He had to wonder where all the extra money was going.

Then it hit him. _The money was being stored away carefully. China used any currency it had for various weapons and industrial needs based on what their government required. This base was separate from the government, and the officials of the base pooled together everything it acquired for government use. Only a sparse amount of what they received was used just to get by. There were no real projects here. There were just enough vaccines produced from Agatha's piece to stay above the radar._  But, now he had to wonder.  _What was the true goal for the funds that weren't used?_  He'll find out in time.

When he finally got to the room that held the trapped drones and the piece of his mate, he did a double take at the size. _It was practically untouched._  Now he knew that his thoughts were correct on the frugal spending, and he was pleased that much of his mate was salvaged. Now that the container with her piece was in warmer air from being removed from the freezer at last, the solution that held it started to thaw.

"My Liege," one his drones said with a sharp bow. He nodded back and slipped a hand into the thawing solution. The piece of his mate coiled around his hand. It filled up over half the container it was in and could have easily covered over half of his body.  _This was how the pieces should have looked._ He knew the piece was relieved that its torment was over.

"Easy," he soothed and caressed the cold piece. "We're going home. You'll get warmed up, okay? Another part will be taken in by your true body. Just relax."

"That's a large piece of Mother," Hermanubis smiled.

"The fuckers here didn't even do much to her, thankfully. They were hoarding funds," Alex snorted. "All the better. Let's blow this place up and head home."

"Hoarding funds?" Osiris frowned. "Hmm."

"Do your research when you get back to your estate," Alex advised. "I wouldn't do anything here on Foreign ground. Have your drones start to infiltrate various political figureheads, if they need to go that far."

"Yes, my Emperor," Osiris nodded.

"There was a female soldier being transported out," Isis started, but Alex held up his hand to explain that bit in full.

"She called out to me for help. She said she wanted to live. She agreed to do as I say, if I saved her life. Treat her as a possible breeder female," Alex said.

"Yes, my Emperor," she smiled with a nod. When they left the base with what little supplies it held, Alex kept watch over Agatha's piece as this base was crossed off his list. The explosion was as intense as all the others. On thinking to his drones, he judged that Germany would need to be the next stop when he was ready for travel again.  _Another Hunter would need to be caught and sent over._

_Or, maybe they could beef up a Hunter they had with various drugs? It would be nice to actually get a Hunter into a base for once. They were supposed to be attacking bases, anyways, from the reports being sent out. Maybe we could even get two Hunters into the fray. That would be something worth watching!_  He sat back and decided to judge if that was needed while his drones sent him what information they could.


	74. Chapter 74

Agatha was being held back in the bedroom to keep from running to her mate. If she left the room, she would have sensed the presences of the breeding Hunter and the developing fetal egg. She was in no condition to face them yet. The moment Alex appeared in her bedroom, Nick was leaving the room for him.

"Zeus..." Agatha shivered.

"Hera..." he swallowed. He rushed to her side and crushed her to him. "I need to give you a new cell to refresh your DNA. Then I'll fuck you senseless. After you give birth, I'll let you handle the bitch we brought to you."

"Why...did you leave...for so...?" she muttered and gave in to the kiss he gave her.

"Two bases are down because of it," he growled. "I should have you join up with your two pieces first. I'll bring them in here. Then you'll get a fresh cell, okay?"

"Don't make me wait too long," she whispered. "I waited long enough."

"I know," he agreed. "So have I."

He kissed her again and looked over at Kim and Aden with the two pieces of his mate. She nodded and let her tentacled hair form to take them. She lost herself in a trance, as the larger piece of herself from China was taken in. That was a bit to absorb, but she managed to come through without a hitch. The only problem was that Alex was right in his earlier thoughts.  _Agatha was consuming old DNA. Her body was deteriorating again._

"My Liege," Nick said, as it held out the shot with the special cell. Alex nodded, and Kim gave over the shot with Dana's female hormones. When the drones left, he quickly administered them. Before Agatha could properly defend herself, and after he recovered from the mild burning sensation he got, he claimed her with everything he had.

While this was going on, the Hunter Queen was strapped down in a small room. The rescued man from Russia was now being interrogated by Robert, Apollo, and Dionysus.

"Hello. Are you coherent?" Robert asked calmly.

"Yes. Um...thank you. For saving me," the man said.

"You're welcome. And it wasn't me that saved you. It was Project Zeus, also known as Alex. He's busy right now. He did get a shot of blood, right?" Robert asked Apollo.

"Yes. He's healed up, as you can see," Apollo nodded.

"Of course. You've eaten and rested?" Robert asked.

"Um...yes. To an extent," the man nodded.

"Good. Do you have a name?" Dionysus asked curiously.

"Long ago, I did. I am...not sure if I remember it," the man admitted. "I have been in torment for a very long time."

"How long?" Robert asked.

"Six years," the man winced.

"Bumpy ride," Dionysus sighed. "Well, we could give you a name. Until you remember your name. If you would like that?"

"I suppose," the man shrugged.

"We can't keep calling you 'that guy' forever," Robert chuckled. "Would Vlad work for you? Or is that too much like a Dracula concept?"

"Vlad?" the man thought and seemed to chuckle. "It will do."

"Maybe you'll have a son named Alucard," Dionysus smirked.

"Remember. Hermes is the asshole," Apollo grinned.

"And you're the kill joy. Yes, I know," Dionysus rolled his eyes.

"Better fucking believe it," Apollo snorted.

"Kids," Robert warned. "I'm the father. I can spank you. Shut up."

"But, Daddy...!" Dionysus started to whine out of spite. Then he grinned widely at the glare he got in return. "I know, Father. Don't worry."

"Hmm. If you keep talking like that first bit, I'll mistake you for a daughter," Robert grinned. "It's the hair. And the, ah, dashing charm you have."

"Not funny!" Dionysus scowled. Apollo grinned wickedly at that.

"How does the end of your hair do that? Do you put it up in curlers?" Robert asked. At his son's flustered look of shock, Apollo barked out laughing. Hermes was laughing in his room with Dana. He had to listen in to that conversation.

"I'd try to get comfort from Athena, but she'd just agree with you," Dionysus muttered.

"That you put your hair in curlers?" Robert grinned. He flicked his son's nose at the glare he was given. After putting him in place, he turned to Vlad. "Anyways, do you know of how we work here? Of what you are intended to be?"

"Yes. It was explained to me on the way here. Um...Alex rescued me. I vowed my service to him. I will do what I can. I wish to enhance his army. To help make many," Vlad said. "Ah, to be a stud."

"We can do that," Apollo nodded. "Oh. Hermes wants him to help with Dana's next baby. So, Vlad, you are now claimed. We can set you up with various chores around here."

"There was something else I wanted to ask," Dionysus said. "We found a girl. She said her name was Vera. Does her name ring a bell?"

"Yes. She is a gentle girl. Her parents were killed to have her join the tormentors. They were going to see if she could be used to help make more things," Vlad said with a shake of his head. "But, it is good she is here. She will help us here?"

"Yes, she has agreed to. I even told her that she can see me as her new dad," Robert smiled. "Anyways, we'll get a room assigned to you. When we have chores for you to do, they will be assigned. Until then, rest up. Take it easy, okay?"

"I will," Vlad nodded. His English had improved by leaps and bounds from Agatha's blood. Now that he was seen to, Vera was next to be assessed. She was already in the school and playing with Ran and Eir. She knew that she was to help make special children, too. It was carefully explained to her, but she was much happier about it. She wasn't going to be forced to endure anymore suffering. She had new friends and a family. She was also overjoyed when the English language was so easy to learn after one shot of blood.

"So, what would you like your husband to look like?" Ran asked with a giggle.

"Um," Vera blushed. "I don't know, really. Strong and handsome, though!"

"Like who?" Eir grinned.

"I like that, um, one man here. The really big one. With muscles," Vera blushed.

"The drone? The one that has the name of Robin?" Ran giggled again.

"A drone?" Vera blinked.

"They can't make babies with you. They can protect you, but that's all," Eir nodded. "But, maybe a husband can be made for you with that body! It can happen with Grandmother."

"Do you think so?" Vera blushed again.

"With Grandmother, anything is possible," Ran nodded. She looked over and tittered when her father came in to sit with them.

"Ran," Sakuma said lightly. "Now is not the time to talk about such a thing. We do not know how Vera will grow. It may take more time for her to grow than you, remember?"

"Oh. That's right," Ran frowned.

"So, this is what you can do. Play with her and treat her as all sisters do," he smiled.

"Yes, Dad," Ran nodded. Then she blinked at what she heard in the link. "Aunt Dana is having her baby! Uncle Hermes just said so!"

"Really? Then we shall remain here," Sakuma nodded. He looked over at his wife when she appeared. She appeared to be rather pleased.

"Shinatobe and Benzaiten are both with child," she chuckled.

"Is that so?!" Sakuma grinned. "Good for them!"

"Your mother is two days along now," Amaterasu smiled. "All pregnancies appear to be holding Queens. It is as we all suspected."

"Of course," Sakuma nodded.

"Oh, what happened to that one soldier we rescued? From China?" Amaterasu asked now. "The others can't really tell me right now."

"We'll find out after Dana is settled," Sakuma said aloud. She nodded and moved to sit next to him. He placed an arm around her and watched the children play. In Dana's bedroom, a war zone was happening from the swears she was giving out.

"We did this before," Hermes smiled.

"You and your cock..." Dana growled.

"And you wanted every bit of it," he grinned wolfishly. At the hard blush she gave him, he kissed her hard and squeezed her. "Just a bit longer, okay?"

"You would think so!" she grimaced and shouted at a final push. Ragland was quick to help deliver the child, and Hariti was there to help clean up the area.

"At least you don't have to do this all the time," Hermes muttered.

"Thankfully," she sighed and rested. The baby presented to them had Dana's hair, her eyes, and had her father's intense beauty. "Figure out a name."

"I already did. We can name her Sif," Hermes grinned.

"The wife of Thor?" Hariti chuckled. "Wasn't she blond?"

"Nah. We can improvise," Hermes smirked. Dana pinched his arm. "Ow!"

"Oh, good. You're awake," Dana grinned. He laughed at her softly and watched her nurse their newborn. "Now, if her husband is named Thor, I'll start laughing."

"That would be funny," Hermes chuckled. He winced at the small mark she gave him and grumbled. "That pinch really hurt!"

"I could have done much more," she muttered. At the glare she got, she smiled sweetly.

"Well, if her husband chooses the name of Loki, you'd be hard put to keep your asshole status," Dionysus smirked when he walked in. Hermes flipped him off to get the breeder male laughing at him. "What?! Loki is the asshole of the Norse legends!"

"I may be the asshole of the viral mutations, but you're what's left after a princess takes a shit in a stream," Hermes said evenly. Dionysus flustered a bit, and Dana gave a small glare at her husband to shut up. He rose up his hands and sighed.

"I'm going to say something to make you both shut up. Hermes, you're a frog. Dionysus, you're a princess. Kiss each other, see if some kind of magic happens, and move on," Dana smirked. Now Hermes was gaping at her, and Dionysus was laughing like mad.

"She wins!" Dionysus grinned and walked away. Ragland and Hariti glanced at each other, kept their mouths shut, and walked back to the lab.

"You don't play fair," Hermes muttered, and he let her get comfortable against him.

"You taught me well," she retorted. He looked at her, grinned, and kissed her forehead.

"That I did. That I did," he smiled and watched over his new daughter.


	75. Chapter 75

The Chinese soldier was resting in a hospital bed within the lab. Her wounds were extensive and some surgery had to be done. Alex didn't want her to have any of Agatha's blood until her situation was stabilized. Only after it looked like she was recovering was the shot given. It did take a bit longer for her regeneration process to work, though. There was no way to really give her the proteins that her new blood needed to work with.

"How is she?" Hariti frowned.

"She's mending, but she really needs to eat. If she was able to do that, then it would be much faster in recovery. We could inject solid protein molecules into her. I'm not sure what it would do, though," Ragland sighed. "It could hurt more than help."

"We wouldn't know," Hariti thought. "We have always eaten things normally. Injections could work. I'm not sure how."

"I'll only test it on someone that is willing to try," Ragland said. He looked up when Apollo came into the room. Robert was there to watch what happened.

"My Emperor wants me to try," Apollo said. "Let me cut myself."

"This will be the only time you get to do that," Robert muttered. Apollo looked over at him with a roll of his eyes. Ragland was able to prepare a small shot of pure protein. Hedeyasu would have been there to help, but Asuna began to need him at her side. A small scalpel was given over, and he carefully sliced a rather deep cut into his bicep. Wincing from the pain, he let Ragland inject him with the shot. When nothing happened, a steak was served to him quickly by a waiting drone. Ragland could only sigh at the small, failed attempt.

"So, we can only eat the protein we need. Wait. You didn't inject the shot into his stomach," Hariti blinked. Apollo waited for another shot to be prepared, and he cut open his other arm. He endured the pain of the shot entering his gut. Now the desired effect took place.

"I had better get back to Aphrodite. She wants to make sure I'm well," Apollo smiled. He actually felt a small boost in energy, too.  _Was a solid shot of pure protein a secret effect?_

"Brad, I'm going to see about making small pills comprised of purely crude protein," Hariti chuckled. "Apollo feels energized!"

"He does? Well, then. Get to it," Ragland chuckled back.

"We may be able to have the ones that go with our Emperor have these small pills on them. They eat one and may get better at what they need to do," she beamed.

"We'll test it," Ragland nodded.

"It would be good to know if it worked. Anyways, what is going on with that Hunter? The Queen one? What's the plan?" Robert asked.

"The moment Mother is free of her eggs, she will see to it. The fetal egg still has a ways to go. Did you want to see it?" Hariti asked.

"I do," Robert nodded. He was led to a small room where the egg was being held and monitored by drones.  _The small girl forming within it closely resembled Agatha, but it wasn't her._  The hair was a light brown in color. Even the skin looked more human in comparison to Agatha's ivory tone. The body was too slender. Of course, the body was still growing.  _It was almost like a breeder female._ That disturbed him.

"Piece of work, huh?" Alex muttered, as he walked in to stare at the abomination.

"Killed when hatched?" Robert asked.

"No question about that."

"What if it's sterile?"

"Won't matter. Agatha needs her DNA. There is no choice. It sucks, but it has to be done. If it's not born from her, then there is no chance."

"But...you removed it from her. In a sense, it was born from her," Robert pointed out.

"After it tried to take to her womb and kill her," Alex growled. "This thing tried to take her over. To become her. Fuck that. It's dead when it hatches. Ragland has been performing tests on it. It has just enough of Agatha's DNA to take on her appearance. The rest is not her. It's a new strain."

"Are you serious?!" Robert gaped.

"Very. I will not have this thing replace her. As much as she wants to kill it, I'll take it out if it tries to kill her. Instincts be damned. Anyways, Agatha asked to see you," Alex said.

"Did she?" Robert blinked. Alex nodded and they walked to where the bedroom was.

"Robert," Agatha sighed and gestured for him to sit down.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Alex moved to sit behind his mate to let her rest against him.

"If something were to happen to me, would you go to another?" she asked.

"What?" Robert blinked at the question. "That's not even a question! Other than the fact that I vowed to never betray you, you are having my kids. I don't want to be with any other."

"What brought up that question?" Alex frowned. "Oh. The breeding bitch and that egg. Right. Agatha, you will  _never_  be replaced. Ever. The Commander is your stud. He is devoting himself completely to you. And, as much as you don't want me to, I'll fucking rip them both to shreds the moment you start to feel threatened!"

"Zeus..." she whispered. Robert looked over with a touch of surprise.

"Hera," Alex sighed and gave a mild glare at the Commander. "We call each other our true names when we are alone. You shouldn't have heard that. But...she needs this. Don't try to blab it out too much."

"It's fine. Should I call you Zeus?" Robert asked. He was being completely honest.

"No. Stick to Alex. Only she can call me that. No one else," he grunted. When she shivered, he kissed her in a branding way. When his clothes started to slide off his form, he gave one small glare at Robert. The meaning was only too obvious.

"I'll check on Vera," Robert said and cleared his throat. A grunt was given as an answer. He chuckled and walked out the door. As he moved down the hallway, something seemed to tickle in the back of his mind. It seemed to be urging him to look at the fetal egg again. He didn't like it. He thought to his kids and found Apollo and Dionysus with him.

"We're here," Apollo nodded.

"We'll back you up," Dionysus muttered.

"Thanks. Oh. There's Hermes. Good," Robert said.

"Hermanubis wants us to wait for him. If that thing needs to die, he wants to deal the killing blow. Wait with us, Father," Hermes said. "Whatever that thing has planned isn't likely good at all. We won't let it get to you."

"As much as some of you are assholes," Robert grumbled under his breath to get them laughing. "I'm glad you're all my kids. Fine. I'll wait for Hermanubis."

"Good choice," Dionysus chuckled. Robert rose a brow at him and laughed softly.

"So, what do we do while we wait?" Hermes asked.

"We can play Hangman," Robert smirked. At the looks his sons gave him, he barked out laughing. "No? How about Charades?"

"Don't mention Hide and Seek," Hermes muttered. That got them all laughing. "I've been playing that and Peek a Boo with my daughter lately. Even as a newborn, she likes the games. I simply hide, and Dana would carry her to me."

"That's kinda cute," Dionysus grinned.

"To you!" Hermes muttered and rubbed his forehead. "I'm exhausted."

"You'll get to sleep after this is seen to," Robert smiled.

"I know," Hermes agreed. They lingered and chit-chatted about various events until Hermanubis showed up. Sigyn was with him, too.

"Osiris wanted to be here, but he's busy dealing with what to find at the next base we need. Let's see what that thing wants with you, Father," Hermanubis growled.

"Like hell was I being left behind," Sigyn mumbled. She wanted to kill it off, too. They looked over when Alex appeared with his claws out.

"Your mother gave me the okay to kill it," Alex growled. "The moment she caught wind that the thing was trying to contact her stud, she got livid. She still can't move. So, she wants me to kill it for her, hard boil it, and serve it on a platter with garnishes. But, first I want to know what it wants with you. Remember. You belong to Agatha. She considers you as hers. Remember your vow to her."

"I know that," Robert nodded. His kids nodded to him and followed him to the lab. Hariti was looking perplexed. She didn't want her father to go near it.

"He'll be fine," Dionysus smiled.

"He had better be," she frowned. Ragland squeezed her shoulder, and they watched Robert walk up to the egg in the small chamber.

"I'm here. What do you want?" Robert frowned. Then he blinked at the mental thought that pushed through his mind.  _Agatha's blood was letting me hear it!_

_:You love her?:_  The thought whispered. He knew who was being spoken of.

"I care about her," Robert said lightly. His kids were able to hear what he heard. They were not happy about this. "I have many children with her. Why did you call me?"

_:I can love you. Be with you...:_  the thought whispered again.

"Fuck you," Robert growled and moved to turn. "I belong to her! Not you!"

_:She does not kiss you. Why?:_ The whisper continued. He stopped at that and paused. : _Why does she not kiss you? I would kiss you. I would love you fully. Why stay with her?:_

"Father..." Hermes said softly in warning. Alex gave a scalding glare at the look of hesitation on Robert's face. Then their eyes met. _A truce. A pact. Agatha couldn't kiss me. She only liked me. She does care about me. She protects me and gives me children. Any kisses that were shared were on various places of skin. That was enough. A full kiss on her mouth doesn't matter to me. She gave me the family I've always wanted and continues to do so._  Robert stood up rigid, turned swiftly, and struck at the egg with a solid fist to hear it mentally screech.

"Agatha saved my life!" Robert hissed. "She gives me more than you ever would! She respects me! She accepts me for everything I am and more. You only want me, because she has me. You will  _never_  replace her! You treacherous bitch! Die!"

The fetal girl in the egg contorted with pain and opened her eyes. Their color was a stark green.  _This girl looked too human. She preyed on others like a human female would._ When Alex walked into the room, the fetal girl actually showed fear in her eyes.

"Is it close to hatching?" Alex asked.

"It whispered into my head," Robert scowled. "Fuck it up!"

"I usually don't take orders. I'll think of it as a mutual agreement," Alex snorted and drove his claws into the egg. Even as he pulled the claws back out, the body was twitching within it. The fetal egg wasn't dead yet. It was slowly regenerating.

"Cook it!" Dionysus hissed.

"No. A better fate," Alex smirked. "Introduce it to the Hunter bitch."

"Oh, yes..." Hermes mused.

"Can I try dicing it into cubes first?" Hermanubis asked.

"Only if it still lives when the Hunter bitch is dead," Alex nodded.

"I'll spit on it, too!" Sigyn growled.

"Not if your mother has to eat it," Robert smirked and gave her a fatherly hug. "That thing has no hold on me. It knows that I can't be touched."

"It may reach out to the studs," Apollo frowned.

"Not if I can help it!" Agatha seethed from the doorway. Alex stared at her with wide eyes. She was heavily pregnant. Nick was forced to help her move. The female in the egg had sent her a message through Robert. "I was challenged. I will not consume her yet. She will be hatching in five minutes. She's crippled. The kill will be easy."

"Our drones..." Alex said softly. She gestured for him and hugged him close.

"Just stay close, okay?" she smiled. He nodded and glared at the egg. There was only silence as the regeneration finished. The moment the girl hatched, Agatha struck with lightning-quick accuracy. There was no time to scream. There was no hesitation. When she finally pulled her tentacled hair away to show only a small puddle of blood remaining, Alex sighed and hugged her tightly to him. He worried over how their eggs would be, but he remembered that she mentioned something just a bit ago.

"What did she say to you?" he asked softly.

"That I was unworthy of my station," she said with a light bristle.

"You proved her wrong," Dionysus smiled. She hugged all of her children that were present and even had help getting to the other rooms to hug those that couldn't reach her.  _She was the Empress. She reigned supreme._ The moment the eggs in her were birthed, she would see to the Hunter Queen. She would make sure to leave nothing left.  _She had to take back what was stolen from her. It was her right._


	76. Chapter 76

The delivery of drone eggs went smoothly. No extra eggs were created, thankfully. Ragland and Hariti scrutinized each new egg and gave the all clear that they were fine.

"She only absorbed her DNA. So, technically, when the fetus was moved into the egg, all of the fetal DNA was converted to be safely consumed by her. It's all speculation," Ragland said. "But, it would make the most sense."

"True," Alex nodded. "Okay. Hunter bitch. Where is the fucker?"

"Sigyn ripped out the ovaries one last time, and the Hunter was moved into an arena chamber. Agatha is ready to fight her?" Ragland asked.

"That is an it. But, yes. Agatha wants to fuck it up," Alex nodded. "I'll be in the chamber, too. I'll be backup if needed."

"Understood," Ragland agreed.

"I'm going to have Nick on standby with a fresh cell. The drone will be waiting in my bedroom with it. Oh? Hmm. Okay. Aden will have the cell. Nick wants to help guard her with me. The drone made a valid point. Nick is her personal guard and toy. It wants to keep stepping up to fulfill that duty. Interesting," Alex mused.

"What is?"

"Ever since I shoved my conscious thought into that drone it feels...weird. As though Nick is an indirect copy of myself in a mindset. Am I pissed? No. Amused? Vaguely. As we know, Nick is a drone. It can't make kids. And it knows that I can severe it from the hive mind to kill it. Nick is just another mental version of me. It actually helps."

"I don't give a shit about anyone except for my Empress," Nick snorted when it came over. "That's already a proven fact."

"True. I'd take you on a few missions with me, but we know what that would entail," Alex shrugged. "You need to stay."

"I was going to insist on staying!" Nick growled. "My Liege, I cannot have my Empress be here unprotected. I'd fight that order. Besides, every time you take me over, I gain a bit more of your skills. This will help me protect my Empress even more."

"Really? Hmm..." Alex frowned.

"You have my oath, my Liege. I will never sway from my duty to you. I would rather die before finding out such a thing was about to take place," Nick vowed. "My Empress is my first and only priority when you leave. I ensure her protection. I let you speak through me to comfort her. Nobody fucking touches her when you are gone."

"Good," Alex said bluntly. At a mental thought the drone now gave him, he busted up laughing at the discovery. Only after he calmed down did he respond. "Okay. Fine. I guess I'll have to test that. Fucking Osiris and his cock rings..."

"I had her howling," Nick smirked. Alex pursed his lips at the memories given over now.

"Yeah. I'll test it later," Alex sighed. Ragland could only laugh silently, as he prepared the chamber. Hariti was listening in to her husband's thoughts and blinked at Agatha's confirmation of a high-pitched, mental giggle. Quite a few breeding pairs were going to do their own series of tests now.

"The chamber is ready. The Hunter is now in there and waking up from the drugs. The stage is set, so to speak," Ragland nodded. "Viewing windows are also in place for those that may wish to witness this."

"And we are," Dionysus said. He appeared with Athena. Most of the females had given birth to their eggs and wanted to see it.

"Dana isn't one to see death," Hermes said when he walked over. "She'll mind Sif for now. It gives me a bit of a break, at least."

"Good. Where is the Commander?" Alex asked.

"He's on his way. He was talking to Tsuneo and Toshimichi about recruiting their friends into the fold. Plans are underway now. Oh! You'll be pleased to know that the homeless recruiting ideas we had are a go! And they are showing promise. Osiris has several locations set up to be recovering facilities in various cities. The moment the recruits are cleaned up, healthy, and ready to go, they will be trained thoroughly to see how intelligent they are. If they show no promise, they go to the military. If they do spark an interest, they will be offered to stay for a week in a 'viral' environment. A part of the estate he's in, you see," Hermes smiled.

"A viral environment?" Alex frowned.

"Yes. Where they live and work with drones. A couple breeder pairs also volunteered to help out. If they do well living and working with us, they will come here for you to evaluate them. The first batch will be due by the end of this week. It's surprising, really," Dionysus said.

"That's actually much better than sending in soldiers. These humans know what they are getting into. They came from nothing. We'll see what happens," Alex nodded.

"I'm ready," Agatha said. Alex turned and paused at the sight of her white camouflage gear. It had been a long time since she last wore it. He gave out a growl, but it was a form of lust. She was a complete turn-on to him in soldier bitch mode!

"Did I miss anything?" Robert asked when he walked over. On seeing her in her original uniform, he even did a double-take. "I guess I'm right on time."

"Of course, Robert," she purred softly. At the glance Alex gave him, Robert grimaced.

"I fuck her first. Then you. Then I have to get another base. Agreed?" Alex muttered.

"Agreed," Robert sighed.

"Sloppy seconds again?" Hermes asked. The wince he made next from Robert smacking him upside the head sent Dionysus roaring with laughter.

"Dionysus, shut the fuck up or I'll slap you next!" Robert growled. That had the breeder male look at him with surprise. Then Osiris sent a mental note to sum it up for them.

"Yes, Father," Dionysus said with a small nod.  _It had been some time since Father had gotten laid._ Agatha could only chuckle with amusement. When she turned to the chamber, she seethed with a form of hatred that Alex understood completely.

"Fun time's over. Time to work," Alex said. "Nick. Follow behind me. Are you ready, Agatha? The thing was waking up when I last checked."

"Good. Let's go," Agatha bristled. Her children witnessed her rage on more than one account. As much as they wanted to help her, they couldn't.  _Their mother had to prove that she was the ruler._ Even when the doors shut behind them, her stance was rigid. Her eyes glared all over the chamber to study it.

It was much like a small obstacle course with places to hide behind, jump over, and use for leverage. While they were on one side of the room, the Hunter Queen was on the other. Just by scenting the other in the cycled air was enough to infuriate Agatha. Her prey was now locked down. She didn't even bother to camouflage herself.

Both Alex and Nick watched her run at top speed in the form of an eerie dance. As she regained her lost pieces, her true stamina, grace, and killing edge was now showing. Her children were awed at her. When she stopped on top of a steel pillar to glare down at her prey, the Hunter Queen screamed in defiance. There was also something else that was noticed.  _The Hunter Queen was scared._

A stand between them had now taken effect.  _Who would attack first?_ In the end, it was the Hunter Queen that lunged out of desperation. Agatha leapt off the pillar as though to fly in the air, spun her form around for her tentacled hair to fly out like a net, and she let the Hunter Queen become ensnared within it. Once those tentacles got a firm grasp, the fight was done. There was no use in trying to struggle. She didn't have to do any other attacks.

"That was fast," Alex muttered.

"No shit," Nick snorted.

"Give me back what is mine!" Agatha hissed to the squealing Hunter Queen. "You are a flaw with my DNA! You are finished!"

The Hunter Queen almost broke loose when the tentacles jabbed into the healing gut where the uterus and ovaries were. Once they got into the body, various blood vessels were latched onto and drained. As the prey got weaker, Agatha got stronger. The Hunter Queen definitely had much of the DNA she needed, and all of it was drained out within minutes.

Alex walked over slowly when the sounds of bones snapping started to echo throughout the chamber. Nick kept a respectful distance. There was no need for the drone to try to approach her. Alex would be enough to help keep her in check.

He glanced around and sent a mental message to the hive. He wanted to make sure that the area was soundproof. On hearing the report, he carefully held out his hand to her and whispered only one word. "Hera."

She growled and let several tendrils move to seek out his palm. On catching his scent, one tendril slowly coiled around his hand in a caressing squeeze. He let himself get pulled close. He was surprised to find himself in the mess of them. When she appeared in the very center of the mass, she was holding the heart.

He let the tentacles pull him down to where she was on the ground. She blinked her pastel blue eyes at him and offered him one side of the heart she was eating. She was sharing her kill with him like a true mate would. When he shook his head, she narrowed her eyes.

"Hey!" Hermes said to Kim when he jogged into the kitchen. "Tell my Emperor to share the kill! It will strengthen their bond so that he will always be able to approach her in this mood! This is important! He'll be on a more equal level with her!"

Kim nodded and quickly sent over the information. Alex blinked and looked down at the offered heart again. He seemed to snort and took a savage bite into it. Agatha smiled her own cold smile and sunk her teeth into the other half.

After it was devoured, Alex felt oddly calm. He didn't evolve from the heart, but he felt as though a balance was finally constructed. Much to his surprise, as the tentacles kept feeding on the corpse, he found himself starting to mate her. He was not expecting this one bit.

_There was something different with this mating._ He wasn't quite sure as to what it meant. It almost felt as though this mating had one specific purpose. It was surprisingly quick, but it was gentle all the same.  _Did the heart have something to do with that?_  For the first time in a long time, he was very uncertain.

"Zeus?" she finally asked.

"Hera," he said, as he held her close. "We just fucked. Didn't we?"

"Yes. We did," she said with a small blush.

"It was...different, though."

"You're right. It was very different."

"Do you feel different?"

"Not really," she admitted. "But...oh! I feel something forming!"

"What?!" he gaped. She grabbed his hand a pressed down on her womb. He narrowed his eyes with mistrust. He felt only one egg. "Are you done?"

"I think so," she nodded. There was nothing left of the corpse now. He gathered her up in his arms as her hair reformed, and he moved swiftly to the exit of the room. Nick was already in the lab and preparing a table with Hariti. Robert was now informed of what was going on, but Robin was there to keep any and all back for safety. Alex wasn't sure what this egg was. No one would know for sure.

"Let's see," Ragland muttered, as he studied the ultrasound. "Hmm. Is that...two fetuses in that egg? Am I seeing this right?!"

"What?!" Alex hissed, as he stared at the screen.

"An egg with twins?" Agatha blinked.

"Hermes may have an idea," Nick said. "He's trying to tell Robin."

"Fine. Get him," Alex nodded. When he came into the lab to sit down, he was ready to voice his thoughts. The others were ready to listen.

"Mother just had a fetal egg. Now she just had a Hunter...thing. Both were fully evolved parts of her. My Emperor, you just had sex with her. Technically, those fetal forms are both yours. They can't betray you. If you think about it," Hermes said carefully.

"Hmm..." Alex frowned.

"As to what they are...well...hell if I know!" Hermes sighed. "But, they both belong to you and Mother officially. Let's watch them grow and see what happens."

"Fine. But they die if I don't like it," Alex snorted.

"Agreed," Hermes nodded. "We'll see what happens."

"Quarantined when birthed?" Ragland asked.

"You bet your ass!" Alex growled.

"It's growing really fast!" Hariti winced. "Mother! Feed her!"

"Fuck!" Alex grimaced. "I'll take her back to the bedroom. When the egg is ready to be birthed, we'll look at it."

"Done," Ragland nodded. The drones had already prepped up the containment room for the egg. Alex was simply pissed.  _Another fucked up egg. And I helped make this one._ He was not happy at all.


	77. Chapter 77

It only took four hours for this egg to birth out. The egg was as large as a drone egg, but the odd thing was that it was still growing as though it was a breeder egg out of the womb. As much as Alex wanted to quarantine it, he was amazed at how fast the fetal twins were growing. One was clearly a male, and the other was female.

"Breeding twins?" Dionysus said in a baffled way. "Actual twins?!"

"It looks like it," Alex sighed. "Agatha's pregnant with normal drones now. I don't like different eggs that aren't planned out. I don't like what I'm seeing. If it's a breeding pair, then fine. I'll see what happens."

"My Emperor, the male looks rather muscled. Like that Hunter bitch," Hermanubis mused. "The female almost reminds me of the fetal egg bitch. But, the male seems to have your face and form. The female almost resembles Mother. Even the hair matches!"

"If they try to replace us, I'm slaughtering them both!" Alex bristled with rage.

"I don't think so," Dionysus said lightly. "I believe that they are a breeding set of twins, but only in likeness to you. Almost like doubles."

"I still don't like it," Alex growled. "The moment I get a nasty look, I fuck them up! I  _refuse_  to have your mother and I challenged at any time!"

"Agreed," Hermanubis nodded. "I'd go back to the island, but too much shit is happening here. When you're ready to deal with this thing, I need to be here."

"That's fine. After your father has Agatha birth new breeders we go after the next base. Do we know which base is next? Do we have an idea?" Alex asked.

"Germany. Osiris has been in contact with them. They are...embarrassingly compliant with him. It's almost as though that base was Commander John's favorite one. He gave them the impression that the other bases were being shut down, because, not only were they infested, but they were under par and not needed. The base in Germany is stepping up the bar to stay in favor of being a working base. We could use this base for ourselves, if we play the right cards," Hermanubis grinned. "We take over the scientists and a few of the soldiers..."

"That depends on what we see and how well the base is upheld. As far as I'm concerned, it gets blown up with the others. But, we'll see. If they can provide interior pictures, it will up the chance of keeping this base alive. We could have kept the others, but why? Hmm. I have the perfect solution..." Alex grinned.

"What is that, my Emperor?" Dionysus asked.

"If they will freely give over Agatha's piece...as well as any information they did to it..." Alex smirked. Hermanubis now sent over the challenging message. "Of course, we'll still need to visit the base. That will be something that needs to be done. I want to pick it up personally. And, if we are met with resistance of any kind..."

"I understand," Hermanubis smirked back. "Osiris will send the word right now."

"Good. Tell me what happens," Alex nodded.

"You know it," the breeder male nodded. "And those twins are growing way too fast. I'm surprised the egg is holding up!"

"At least they aren't trying to talk to me," Alex muttered darkly. His claws were already out and ready to skewer it. He looked over and saw Robin carrying in Agatha.

"I had to see them for myself," she frowned. "They do...sort of resemble us. Don't they? What do you think?"

"I don't like it, Agatha," Alex admitted. Robin set her down carefully and helped her move to her mate's side. She rested her hands on his shoulders with a tired sigh. "You should be in bed. It's not good for you to be up and about when you're pregnant."

"I know. I just wanted to be with you," she said. He placed an arm around her, but kept his claws out. He was in a fully protective mode. It was when the egg started to rock that small gasps of disbelief were heard around the room.

"It's...already...hatching...?!" Dionysus gaped with surprise. Alex and Agatha watched the twins jump out of the egg, and the shell seemed to split to form around each one evenly. The male looked almost exactly like Alex, save that he had quite a bit of Agatha's beauty. He had the same sky blue eyes that Alex had, and his hair was just a touch longer.

The female was nearly a perfect replica of Agatha, but she had Alex's look of hardened determination. Her pastel blue eyes studied the situation in front of them. The twins looked at each other and held hands before looking at their parental figures. As Alex studied them, he noticed that they were scared. Much like children with an unsure fate, they didn't know what was to be expected of them.

"Mother..." the female swallowed. Her voice was a lighter tone than Agatha's was. It seemed to have a slight bit of Alex's rough edge. "Are we...to die...?"

"That depends," Agatha said slowly. "I have never birthed an egg that contained twins."

"Father..." the male said softly. He had inherited the ethereal-like tone that Agatha had to her voice. Alex now looked at him with surprise. The name he was called caught him completely off guard. "Can you...give us a chance?"

"You can hear me?!" Dionysus gaped at them. "Both of you?!"

"Yes. And the drones from Father," the female smiled.

"So...you can hear...both sides..." Alex blinked. "And...oh! I can hear Dionysus through you! So..."

"They are our link to hear..." Agatha gaped with surprise. "I can hear our drones! At last, I can finally hear them! Alex...I think...I'm not sure, but..."

"I..." Alex was in shock. He heard her thoughts through the male, and his claws finally reverted back to his hands. "You think these two are our...children?!"

"If we were to breed properly..." she trembled. She gestured for her new son and daughter. Tears of relief seemed to flow all around.  _The twins were now fully accepted._  They were the crucial bridge for Alex to hear the breeders and drones from Robert. Agatha could hear the drones she made from Alex. A flow of relief seemed to come from everywhere.  _The twins were beneficial and quite needed._ They would still be watched, but they were now a major part of the hive mind. After the small group hug happened, it was time for the questions to start.

"Don't you ever betray us..." Alex growled.

"You have our vow, Father," the male swore.

"Can the two of you breed?" Agatha asked.

"We don't know," the female frowned. "We could try..."

"Are the two of you bonded?" Alex asked.

"We don't feel the need to be with anyone else," the male shrugged.

"Ragland could test them," Agatha said. "To check their fertility."

"No. Let them try. If it doesn't work, then fine. If it does, then fine. Whatever happens will happen. Now, do you two have names?" Alex asked, as he relaxed a bit.

"Um..." the female blushed.

"I would choose Odin, but that might be pushing it," the male grinned.

"It would. Choose another," Alex smirked.

"Well, Sigyn was supposed to be Loki's wife, but the name was taken," the female smiled. "I'm sure it wouldn't matter."

"It won't," Sigyn grinned. "I liked the name."

"It suits you," the male nodded. "Well, I guess I'll be Loki."

"Don't be a smartass. That's my job!" Hermes grinned.

"Then you'll be playing hard ball," Loki grinned.

"I fucking hate you already!" the breeder male scowled.

"I think the name Asteria will work for me," the female smiled.

"Good. A room will be given to you both. Try to fuck and see what happens," Alex nodded. "Oh. Is Eir ready for a King yet?"

"Another day," Hariti said with a smile. "Maybe two."

"It's two more days," Ragland confirmed. "The soldier from China is almost fully recovered. I also noticed that Vera seems to be growing a bit faster. I've been checking on her."

"Really?" Agatha mused. "Okay. Well, I should lay back down."

"Yes, you should," Alex agreed. Everyone quickly dispersed. Even as he lay back with Agatha in their bed, he was still in complete shock that he actually made children with her.

"I'm still surprised, too," Agatha smiled. He blinked at her and found himself smiling. He had forgotten that she could hear him now.

"I don't know what to think...really..." he swallowed.

"Are you going to bitch?"

"No!"

"It is surprising. It's shocking. I don't know what will happen, if they do manage to breed. I just...I'm glad...that we didn't kill them..."

"They were made by us. I think that was where it counted. Those other things were not made by us. I guess we sort of...made those things into something we could use. Something that could fully benefit us. Of course, for safety, Nick will still be the only one allowed to be with you while I'm gone. At least I can tell Cronus to fuck off at long last!" Alex snorted.

"You might want to," Agatha muttered. Alex narrowed his eyes and focused completely on Cronus. Now that the young King was fully shaken up, mentally beaten down, and pushed back into place, he felt much better.

"I'll be paying very close attention to any new King that comes around," Alex growled.

"Good," she smiled and snuggled into his side. As she rested, he was now able to study the side of the hive mind that he could never hear before.  _I am the Emperor._  All of the breeders felt his mental gaze and paid instant homage to him. After he made his mental presence fully known, he now reflected on everything.  _I am quite glad that I didn't kill the twins. My true son and daughter._ And now he knew that, if anything tried to touch them, he would be killing that threat with a vengeance.


	78. Chapter 78

The twins couldn't breed. They were sterile. Alex was fine with it. They didn't want to be with any others, but this was apparently the downside to them. They bridged a much needed gap between the hive minds. They simply couldn't reproduce to add more able bodies. It was possible for Ragland to try and create a viable offspring from them. Much like how many humans would take a healthy sperm and egg to create children in a lab when they couldn't do it naturally by replacing their DNA within the cells. It was what he did for Alex for the specialized breeders. In time, it could be tested.

Agatha was able to birth out the drones normally without any complications. When Robert moved towards the room to be with her, Alex stopped him.

"I just wanted to ask you something," Alex said.

"What's up?" Robert asked.

"What do you think of Vlad? In your opinion?"

"The Russian? Ah. I think he's fine. He's a hard worker. He gets along with everyone. He does what he's told. I think he's just happy that he doesn't have to go through the shit he dealt with before. He looks...happier, I guess."

"Right," Alex nodded. "Any word on that Chinese woman?"

"Not really," Robert admitted. "She still appears to be unconscious. I can't make heads or tails of her situation. We could try to wake her up."

"We could, huh? I think I can do that. Okay, go to Agatha. She's getting impatient," Alex smirked at the mental pout coming from her.

"Must be a relief to hear her?" he chuckled.

"Fuck no!" Alex snorted to get the Commander laughing. "Do you have any fucking idea how much she wants to try distracting me?! I'm actually worried about leaving to go for bases!"

"Ouch. I didn't see it that way before," Robert frowned.

"Nick will just have to shut her up that much more, I guess. Anyways, she's bitching for you. Better get going," Alex muttered. Robert nodded and walked off. At a mental nudge from Agatha with a rather interesting image of herself, he growled. "Hera...you're a bitch!"

He waited until the Commander was able to shut her up.  _Now it was time to see to the healing soldier._  He glanced over to find Hermanubis walking over to back him up. He gave a small nod and continued to the lab.

"Osiris is ready for Germany," the breeder male said. "He understands that Mother needs to give birth first. After that, he'll have a transport ready at the island."

"Good. Hmm. So, the base there is ready to give over Agatha's part. Excellent," Alex mused at what Osiris was able to tell him. "He wants to risk a lot."

"I don't know if we should tell this base about us, either," Hermanubis agreed.

"I wouldn't," Alex growled. "I'd rather have it secured and locked down first. Then when we know we have the upper hand...that would be the only way. I'll need blueprints of the base in full, too. Every corner needs to be covered."

"My Emperor," Hermanubis smirked. "we have drones in the other bases, too. We've all been fucking so much, especially Osiris and Isis, that we could have a whole city dedicated to just us. We have that many drones out there right now."

"I don't fucking care," Alex said bluntly. "If one of them fucks up, we're done."

"Even if those drones already started to take out the top scientists?" Hermanubis muttered. Now Alex blinked and looked at him. "The bases left over are now run by us."

"This makes it too easy," Alex mused.

"We all want Mother to be whole again. We don't have to visit the other bases. We can have everything shipped here for her, too," the breeder male smirked.

"No. I have to visit the bases. Even if it's as simple as taking a small walk in the park. I have to be the one to bring her pieces home. I feel as if...I have to. That if I don't do it, something will get weak. I don't want that weakness."

"Ah! It's your bond with Mother!" Hermanubis blinked at his mental thoughts. "That makes the most sense. We will have each piece ready for you to bring home."

"That is what I want. Even if I let the rest of you destroy it from the inside, it's fine. I have to bring her parts home," he said. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get to the next part of the plan. I'm sure you know what that is."

"Worldwide exposure?"

"After our bases are built, yes," Alex grinned wickedly. "The world will be too crippled to know what happened. It will be the perfect time to strike."

"My Emperor, what is our true goal in all of this?" Hermanubis asked now.

"To show that we can survive," Alex muttered in a serious tone. "That we can adapt. No matter what is thrown at us, we are the stronger race. Like roaches, we can come back."

"A viral race?" Hermanubis mused.

"Why the fuck not?" Alex chuckled. "They made us. They can live with us. Will we pass on? Will we die? It's possible. We also have the technology to keep ourselves alive. We don't have to worry about dying with what we can do."

"That's very true," the breeder male agreed. When they got to the lab, Hariti was already showing them the way to the soldier.

"She's not awake yet," Hariti sighed. "She's able to hear us, but she refuses to wake up."

"Because she knows that, if she does, she owes me her life in servitude," Alex said. He walked up to the supposedly sleeping woman and smirked. "Wake up. I know you can hear me. I know you can understand me. I have come to remind you that you agreed to my terms on saving your life. If you do not wake up, I'll fucking force you to wake up!"

At that, the woman finally opened her slanted brown eyes with a touch of worry. On seeing her rescuer a bit more clearly, she seemed to wince. She knew who he was from pictures.

"So...you recognize him," Hermanubis chuckled.

"Ah...yes..." she nodded with a swallow. "Pictures."

"Do you remember what you agreed with me?" Alex asked now.

"Um..." she swallowed again. "To work? With you?"

"Yes. I can see that you are still somewhat recovering. Fine. When you start to move around, I will expect you to start helping with my cause. You will be spoken to at length soon by a Commander. He will inform you of what to expect. If you decide you don't want to do it, I will kill you. You get no second chances from me. You asked me to spare you. To let you live. I did my part. Don't forget that," Alex warned with a cold stare. She could only nod and shiver.

"I will make her feel better," Hariti smiled. She looked over at Amaterasu with a beaming smile. The breeder female also wanted to help. If the soldier was to help make Queens, they wanted to welcome her with open arms as another sister.

Alex didn't care what they did.  _The woman owed me her life._  Snorting and growling to himself, he mentally contacted Osiris to go over the base plans of Germany. The rest of the time to wait for Robert to finish with Agatha flew by this way. The moment Robert was away from her, Alex rushed to her side.

"Miss me?" Agatha smiled and let him settle against her.

"What do you think?" he muttered and kissed her. "I want to get the rest of these bases out of the way. I hate leaving your side."

"I know you do," she nodded and ran a hand up his chest to feel him shiver. "You still have your clothes on? Why?"

He grinned and let his clothes slide off him. Now that he got a bit more comfortable with her, he was able to finally start relaxing. She rested a hand in his hair, and he closed his eyes with a soft sigh.  _This was what I needed._  Resting a hand on her belly, he felt the developing breeder eggs. Then he muttered, "I'll have to go to Germany after they're birthed."

"I know," she sighed and snuggled into the crook of his arm.

"As much as I don't want to go..."

"It's necessary for you to get my parts. I know."

"Can you feel the one in Germany?"

"Hmm..." she thought. "It's...okay. No pain. Not cold. It seems to be fine."

"Good," he nodded.

"I was thinking about something, though."

"Oh? Ah. True, we could use the remaining bases for ourselves. Flood them with enough drones and a couple breeder pairs. It would save on costs for underwater bases."

"It would make it faster for you to get back to me," she smiled. He nodded slightly at that. As she started to get drowsy, she suddenly bolted upright with shock. A form of pain surged in the link. Alex was now staring at her and trying to find out what happened. On pin-pointing it, he was already thinking hard to Osiris.

"Antarctica. That place is next!" he growled. On seeing her shivering from the pain, he whispered, "Hush. I can't really tell what happened. Can you?"

"My piece..." she whispered. "They...hurt it..."

"Fuck..." he growled. He looked over at Hermanubis, Sigyn, and Dionysus walking in.

"We have drones taking over everyone to bide us time," Sigyn said quickly.

"Mother's piece is being guarded," Hermanubis said.

"Mother, what they just tried to do to your piece is just..." Dionysus cringed.

"What did they...?" Alex was about to ask before focusing on the drones. He had a few of his drones there, too, and now he was livid. "So they tried to splice it."

"They did that a lot, apparently," Dionysus growled. "No pain medications. No warning. They just...hack off a piece of her! Whenever they want!"

"No more of that shit!" Alex seethed. "Germany will have to wait. Antarctica is next. And that base is getting blown the fuck up!"

"My Emperor, I suggest we keep the base," Hermanubis said now. "It's built into a glacier. And, from what the drones tell us, it's outfitted with a lot of technical gear that we could use with remote access."

On gleaning this information, Alex now mused to himself.

"It's one giant remote control," Sigyn said. "We could use it to do things pretty much, well, anywhere! From camera feeds to accessing various satellite feeds, too."

"Okay, it could be a fun base to have. But, only if it's secured," Alex said.

"We have drones swimming there right now," Hermanubis smirked. That had Alex laughing. "Yes, we want this base."

"Fine. Now go do something else while I fuck your mother," Alex smirked back. That got them laughing and giggling, as they left the room.

"The nerve of them...hurting me...!" Agatha muttered in his embrace.

"It's solved," he growled and kissed her hard. "And I haven't forgotten what you did earlier! I need to get even with you."

"What did I do?" she asked innocently.

"You are such a bitch," he grinned at her wicked smile before claiming her.


	79. Chapter 79

The moment the breeder eggs were birthed, Alex was ready to board the submarine that Osiris provided for him. Nick was quickly secured in the bedroom to show that none were allowed once again, save for serving drones. Alex was mildly pissed. He didn't want to leave her alone anymore. He also knew that he didn't want her parts to be abused, too. As much as he would favor for them to be sent to him, he couldn't do it. He had to show that he was protecting her. If he optioned for the easy way out, he may also not gain any more evolved techniques. But, more importantly, he vowed to her that he would secure her pieces.

_At least the twins we made would help her keep in mental touch with me._ His viral heart seemed to wrench with a form of pain when he felt how much she missed him. It was the same with her when she sensed him, too.

"Blessing and a fucking curse..." he muttered to himself.

"What is?" Hermanubis asked.

"Knowing what's on your mother's mind," he sighed.

"I know what you mean," Sigyn smiled softly. "It's why I travel with you."

"To stay close to me," Hermanubis chuckled.

"And to make sure you do your job," she smirked.

"Fuck you!" her brother scowled. Alex cracked a grin and felt the submarine speed up.

"Okay. So, her piece is secured. Is the base locked down?" Alex asked.

"Pretty much. Whenever someone questions what's going on, they get killed," the breeder male nodded. "We can have the entire base assimilated in under an hour."

"Good. From what I know, from what Osiris knows, anyways, we have Germany next. Egypt and England will be the only bases left. I want giant Hunters sent to those two bases to keep as a backup disturbance. We could save Germany for last, but I want to get that done before the other two. If that base is compliant now, I don't want those humans to change their minds. Hmm...ah. So, they did give over Agatha's piece. Fine. They safeguarded their existence. I want to make sure the pieces from Egypt and England are secured. And I want locations of where those bases are," Alex said, as he spoke and mentally gave the orders.

"Understood. We'll get you the information when we get it," Hermanubis nodded. "Oh. What did you want to do after the bases are destroyed? What would be the next plan?"

"We wait one month to get our bases built. It should be enough time to get various Queens and Kings to them. When we get back, Eir may be ready for her King. Or, it will be one more day. I  _have_  to be there before she meets with him. I do not want Agatha to be left alone when that King hatches. Nick could help her, but a King may be too much for that drone to handle. Her instinct to accept another King may kick in, and I  _don't_  want that to happen! I need to see to all Kings personally to show them who's the better mate for her," he growled. "Cronus is still a pain in the ass."

"We know," Sigyn sighed.

"That we do," Hermanubis grunted. "He's a good ally, but he constantly bitches that he should be with Mother. I think all of the Kings will be that way."

"They can all fuck off," Alex growled again. "If the others don't do that and it's just Cronus, I may end up killing him to let Rhea have another King made in his place."

"Hah!" Hermanubis said with mirth. "Cronus heard that and finally shut up!"

"Good," Alex said bluntly. "I meant every fucking word."

"A breeder pair from Rhea and Carlos just made it to our base," Sigyn chuckled.

"Fine. I'll meet with them when we get back," Alex nodded. "I thought we already had breeders from them? Eh. Whatever. More won't matter, and it will help secure any information I need."

"We're almost at the island. Osiris will be there with a helicopter. We could take a submarine, but it's faster to fly," Hermanubis said.

"Good," Alex said. "Hmm. Let me know when we get there. Your mother needs to talk to me. At least this helps keep her calm."

"Yes, my Emperor," the breeder male nodded. Alex spent the rest of the submarine ride communing with his mate. At the suggestion to try something sexual, he seemed to grimace. In the end, he declined it. _She had Nick to help her, if it got to be too much._   _I would just be too frustrated to think straight._ He did suggest that he would be willing to try it when he was with her physically. That got her a touch excited.

"Bitch..." Alex sighed and found himself smiling. They had just reached the island, and he was quick to rush to the waiting helicopter. He was surprised to see another breeder pair waiting with Osiris and Isis.

"I'm Aten," the slender breeder male said. His blond hair seemed to be a touch long in the front for his bangs to neatly hang over his steel grey eyes.

"I am Hemsut," the rather muscular female said with a small smile. Her own steel grey eyes regarded her Emperor with complete respect. Her long, blond hair was bound back.

"And why are you both here?" Alex asked.

"We have our Father's skill for navigation and technology," Aten said. "We will live in the Antarctic base to assist with various controls."

"Understood. Let's move," Alex nodded. "I want this base done quickly."

"It's pretty much done, anyways," Osiris smirked.

"Is it?" Alex grinned.

"We had drones swimming there. We took over where all the most important areas were. The base is already ours," Osiris grinned back.

"Good. I want to inspect it. How is the health of your mother's piece?"

"That's...something we need to talk about," Isis frowned. "We didn't want to alarm you in the link. It's best for you to see for yourself."

"Is it dead?" Alex asked carefully.

"No. But...critical," Osiris muttered. "We have it sedated. Somewhat. They hacked off so much of it this time..."

"Stop," Isis said with her own wince of sadness.

"Was that hacked part salvaged?" Alex said with a hint of murderous rage.

"Yes. We...pieced it back together carefully. But...we have to be gentle," Isis frowned again. "Too much movement can hurt it again."

"Does your mother know?" Alex asked when they were in the air.

"No. We've been keeping it from her," Osiris said.

"From all of us, apparently," Hermanubis growled. "I didn't know this."

"Nor I," Aten muttered.

"We don't want Mother to know. It would burden our Emperor," Isis said. "It may be all she can think about, you see."

"I see why," Alex nodded. "Fine. Hide this from your mother. She'll see it when I bring it to her. How long do you think it will be?"

"This base is a little over nine thousand miles away," Osiris sighed. "We have about six hours of flight time."

"Fuck. By the time we get back, Eir will be ready for her King. I'm sure of it," Alex grumbled. "What base is ready for her?"

"The one off of the United Kingdom coast. It's near Greenland," Sigyn said.

"Frigg is to go to the one near China," Hermanubis said.

"Ran is set for Japanese waters. We are building one near Russia right now. Bases are being started near Italy, Egypt, Brazil, and Africa," Isis said.

"Good to know," Alex nodded. "Do you think a month would work after they're built?"

"I would suggest two months," Osiris said. "Maybe three."

"Three would be pushing it. Let's see what we can do with two," Alex nodded again. "The moment those places are built, I want them inhabited. When they are fully established, we come out of hiding. That's when the fun really starts."

"Oh, you said you wanted two more Hunters? The giant fucks?" Hermanubis asked.

"Yes. One sent to Egypt, and the other to England," Alex said with another nod.

"Wouldn't it be sort of fun to make a winged Hunter? Like a gargoyle for England?" Sigyn grinned wickedly. She started laughing at the look of disbelief Alex gave her now.

"Fuck you!" Alex scowled. Hermanubis started to laugh, too. "That thing would be a bitch to kill! They're hard enough on the ground!"

"Might be fun to kill, though," Hermanubis smirked.

"No. Fuck you, too," Alex smirked back. That got them all laughing. The rest of the flight was small thoughts to Agatha to let her know he was fine, going over base details, and figuring out how to keep Agatha's piece secured. They had seven hours to plan and figure out what needed to be done. They had plenty of time.


	80. Chapter 80

When they finally reached the base, the weather was below zero. They were unaffected by the climate. They were greeted by several of their drones in various soldier and scientist disguises. When Alex walked into the base, he seemed to pause. The floor that he stepped on appeared to be a flawless, seamless stretch of steel before him. The walls were the same, too, despite the artificial lighting. He didn't even feel a touch of cold weather. _Shouldn't the place be coated with ice? Or even the steel have small blemishes? Even the doors to the outside seemed to be immune to the freezing climate._

"This base is weird," Alex grunted. "It's too...perfect. At least to me."

"Too perfect?" Osiris muttered. To him, when he first walked into the base, it was as though he felt his mother was there. All around him.  _Why was that?_

"Think about it. Sub-zero weather. Steel. Wouldn't it be, I don't know...warping a bit? Giving off more of a chill? This place feels warm," Alex said. "Either this place has some heating ducts built in, or there's heat coming from somewhere."

"You're right!" Isis blinked. "I didn't even see any form of permafrost on the structures outside! Let me see what the drones can tell me. The ones that consumed some scientists."

"Good. Now lead me to your mother's part," he nodded. He could easily glean the information now, but his mind was set on finding his mate's piece. He'll have them tell him what he needed to know for now. Hermanubis led him to the chamber it was held in. Aten and Hemsut went to the technical control room to start taking over what they needed. There was little to no resistance at all. The drones had already neutralized everything and everyone that could interfere. They could go wherever they wanted with no restrictions.

"Too easy," Hermanubis snorted.

"Better easy than a goat fuck," Alex replied. The drones opened up a steel door to reveal a room made of carved ice. This was what he expected to see. What he didn't expect to see was Agatha's part in the state that it was. _It looked mangled. It looked like it was in severe pain._ He was extremely happy that it was frozen. "This will hurt her if it thaws!"

"It has been sedated," Osiris said. "I don't know how drugs would affect Mother if she consumes them with her piece."

"Fuck..." Alex grimaced. The spliced off part was frozen next to it. The pieces couldn't merge together. It was what he was going to learn next that was going to fully piss him off.

"My Emperor," Isis whispered. Osiris looked at her with shock. Hermanubis and Sigyn were in complete disgust and revulsion now. "I know why the walls are like this. Aten found out. The scientists found out that Mother's DNA was impervious to weather. As we are, too. So...they took her DNA and used it to coat the walls."

"Wait..." Alex said, as he glared at her. "You mean...this entire base is coated with...?"

"I am afraid so..." Isis cringed. She could feel his rage. Now she felt her mother's outburst of shock and mental swearing.

"We would have to bring her here. Won't we? To see if she could..." Alex trailed off. He was  _not_  happy about this at all. "We can't tear down the walls! Or can we?"

"We can't," Osiris said. "Mother's DNA is...everywhere. They used her like a fucking fur coat! I mean...what can we do? I honestly have no idea."

"How much was used?" Alex asked now and ran a hand over his face.

"You saw Mother's piece," Isis said and worried her lip. "It was as large as the one in China before. Now it's almost the same size as that first piece."

"What does your mother want to do?" Alex said with a growl.

"She's pissed off to a whole new height," Hermanubis said.

_:Hera.:_  Alex thought carefully.  _:What do you feel we should do?:_

_:It's MY DNA damn it!:_  She screamed at him.  _:I need it back!:_

"Osiris. Fetch your mother. I'll wait here. Nick  _will_  be with her. So will the rest of her escort. Actually, you know what? Fuck it. I'll go with you. I don't trust anyone except for myself when your mother is out of that base. Not the Commander. Not any of her kids. I know her instincts might kick in. And I don't want you or anyone else to fucking touch her!" Alex seethed. This was all instinctive protection to show that he was the Emperor. His word was law.

"Of course, my Emperor," Osiris said with a small swallow.

"If I end up fucking her on the ride here, then fine. Make a tentacle nursery just in case. In one of the rooms that doesn't have her DNA on the walls," Alex ordered. "If I can't put her eggs from me in those tentacles, then I'll make a temporary one. Maybe on the helicopter."

"We should use the submarine, if that's the case," Hermanubis advised. "More space."

"And she'll be with me. Fine. Take me back to the island. Fucking pain in the ass..." Alex scowled, as he left the chamber. "Keep her piece frozen!"

"Yes, my Emperor!" Osiris nodded.

"I don't think he looks very happy," Hermanubis sighed.

"You think?" Osiris muttered to him. They both shrugged at each other and headed back to the helicopter. On getting there, Alex was pacing. He was clearly in a foul mood.

"My Emperor, think of it this way," Sigyn said with a soft smile. "You can see how Mother is when she is with you and traveling."

"It's not that," Alex admitted. "I'm worried of how she will react to seeing a base like this. And coated with her DNA. I don't know if this base will be destroyed by her."

"Oh..." Isis blinked.

"If we plan to keep it, then we need to be careful. Any sensitive equipment needs to be put into an area that doesn't have her DNA on the walls. We'll need a backup heat source, if she manages to remove what she needs, too. Also," Alex said gravely. "if there are any surviving humans, they may end up dead. I have a feeling that she will go on a slaughtering spree."

"Why do you think...oh," Osiris frowned at the thought he got. "If she thinks they helped spread around her DNA..."

"And she's in a rage to get it back," Isis winced.

"And when she sees the state her piece is in," Sigyn whispered softly.

"I hate to say it, but this base is fucked. Unless you all can try to help her stay calm," Alex muttered. "Ugh. She's bitching. We have to pick her up now and bring her here. Osiris. Hermanubis. Stay here. Figure something out. I only want the girls with me. I'm going to have her personal escort of drones, too. You all know this."

"We do," Hermanubis said. "We will do as you say."

"Good. Figure out what to do with the surviving humans. Either force them to evacuate temporarily, quarantine them...something," Alex shrugged.

"Maybe we can see if they could enter our fold," Osiris mused. "Any that resist will be killed. It is an experimental base. We can just say that an experiment took over. If they want to live, they will help the experiment."

"Whatever. Do what you want. But, if any cross paths with either me or your mother trying to kill us, you know what the consequence will be," Alex warned. "Remember that."

"All too well," Osiris sighed. "When do you leave to get her?"

"Now," Alex nodded. "She is a very demanding woman."

"Don't we know it," Isis chuckled. He smirked at her and jumped into the helicopter. Osiris gave his sister a long kiss before letting her go to help their Emperor. Hermanubis did the same to Sigyn. It was going to be the first time either of them were apart.

"I'm going to be fucking her hard when she gets back," Osiris growled.

"We could prepare temporary nurseries. Like our Emperor wanted," Hermanubis said when they walked back into the base.

"Yeah, we need to do that," Osiris sighed. Then he looked at the wall, touched it, and swore softly under his breath. "I can't believe they did this."

"Can you feel Mother?"

"Just her presence. Now that you mention it, I just feel that she's...here. I actually felt that she was 'here' when I first walked in. I'm feeling her DNA all around us. I thought I could just find her pieces. I can actually sense where her DNA is. I'm sad. I'm horrified. I don't know if I want to even be in this base until Mother is actually here."

"Ouch," Hermanubis frowned. "Well, let's see what we can do about the humans. I'm itching to do something!"

"Heh. Okay," Osiris nodded and took on the form of Commander John.  _It was time to see who would live or die._


	81. Chapter 81

The moment Alex stepped foot back into the underwater base, Kim was there to usher him to Agatha. Nick was barely able to keep the angry Empress calmed. At the sight of Alex charging in, Nick was quick to dart away to let him take over. Once the door was shut, the drones would ensure that nothing would disturb them.

"Hera," Alex growled in her ear to feel her shiver with control. "That's it. I'm here now. We'll leave soon. Eir will be ready for her King when we get back. We'll fix this."

"Zeus..." she whispered and broke down into tears of rage. He held her and rocked her until she was able to control herself. Only he could help her feel any form of relief. Nick was able to keep her from going to others for comfort. The drone could do nothing when it came to trying to help her with her rage. Coughing a bit, she dried her tears on his viral clothing. She was still too pissed to talk. All she could do was cling to him. She pressed her face into his neck to let his scent calm her even more. _He is here._ That was all that mattered now.

"I'll fuck you hard on the submarine. By the time we get there, you'll likely give birth. Okay?" he grinned. She looked at him with a hard blush. "I already have a room set up to help. We can transfer any extra eggs that we make back here. New drones that hatch will live at the base. We want to keep it. You know why."

"I know," she murmured against his shoulder.

"As much as I hate making you travel anywhere right now..."

"It needs to be done."

"I'll have our personal escorts with us."

"Nick has notified them."

"The submarine is being stocked with Hunter meat and other stuff you like."

"Can you put some hearts in it for me?"

"What kind?" he muttered and kissed her passionately.

"Any kind," she muttered back and kissed him harder. Her hair became the spindly tendrils they were to settle and coil affectionately around his form. If there was one thing becoming more and more apparent from all the DNA she was consuming, it was the fact that her hair was becoming far more lively.

"Don't tickle me," he growled lightly at an invading tendril. She giggled a bit and had her hair withdraw. "You know I don't like that."

"At least like this," she teased.

"Bitch," he grinned. She laughed softly at him, and they kissed again in another passionate way. "I'm having Nick bring an extra cell of yours as a precaution. I don't know how you'll be after taking back what's yours."

"I understand," she nodded.

"I honestly think that you don't deteriorate due to age. I think it's old DNA consumption. I also believe that, when you are done taking back what's yours, you won't have this problem. We'll still keep some cells, though. Just in case," he said, as he walked with her past the meat locker. She was in her camouflage clothing for now. Placing a hand on her rump, he guided her to the submarine. Robin, Aden, Kim, and Eddie were waiting for her. Nick was already in the temporary bedchamber. The drone had to transfer a few things that Alex may need to help keep Agatha calmed down. No one knew how she would react the closer they got to the base.

"Mother," Sigyn smiled.

"It's good to see you," Agatha smiled warmly at her daughter. She hugged her, and Isis was next to be hugged. "I can only guess that your brothers are at that base?"

"Yes," Isis smiled.

"And you miss him?" she grinned.

"He'll be fucking me in various positions when we get back," Isis smirked. Agatha started laughing, and Alex rolled his eyes. "He's starting to get creative."

"Enough!" Alex scowled. Agatha could only laugh a bit more.

"Ever read the Karma Sutra?" Isis asked. Alex finally glared at her to shut up. Agatha could only look at her mate curiously. He shook his head with another scowl.

"Why the fuck do brothers and sisters have to think alike in this group?!" he muttered. Sigyn was giggling like crazy at that. "Messed up little freaks. All of you."

"We live to serve, my Emperor," Isis said with a bow.

"Good. Make sure the supplies are aboard. Then we gotta get going," Alex snorted.

"Please wait, my Liege," Robin said. "We wish to modify the bedroom."

"Really? Oh. You have ten minutes," Alex nodded. The drone nodded back, and a flurry of activity was done. They wanted their Empress to travel in what royal luxury they could provide. As they did this, Sakuma had jogged over to try and catch them before they left.

"You are not to see our Empress," Aden said.

"I know. I just want them to try something to help remove Agatha's DNA," he said.

"I'm listening," Alex said when he walked over.

"Her hair can absorb things. Can it act like a sponge? To soak up things?" Sakuma asked. Alex blinked at the idea. "I think that may solve most of your problems. As for your heating issue, the base is built inside an actual dormant volcano. Amaterasu wanted me to tell you to help you get a location idea."

"The drones may have to some drilling to do," Alex nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Sakuma chuckled. "How long do you think you'll be away?"

"It could be another day. Why do you ask?"

"Ran has been telling me that Eir is getting impatient on seeing her new King," Sakuma sighed. "I would suggest for either Robert or various drones to guard your bedroom."

"Thanks for the heads up," Alex nodded. "My drones won't let her in."

"Good. Oh! You should also know that Vera is accelerating in her growth. She's growing as though a Queen does," Sakuma grinned. Now Alex was a touch surprised.

"So...she could be eleven now?" Alex asked.

"Yes. We've been keeping an eye on her. Agatha may need to birth another King for her soon. If not a King, then a special breeder. Robert's been keeping her calm from the sudden changes," he said.

"So...any child infused with Agatha's blood will be able to age like a Queen, but will give birth to them like Dana," Alex mused. "For the girls, that is. Boys could age the same and make Queens with various breeder females. Or they could become studs, if that's what they wanted to be. It's what I can guess, at least."

"That's what we know, too. I just wanted to let you know."

"And it's good to know. Maybe we can look into various orphanages and abandoned children. Even homeless ones on the street. If we take them in and work with them..."

"I can see that you know where I'm going with this."

"Fucking genius! Okay. Let's work on this, too."

"Amaterasu already sent the word," Sakuma winked. Alex chuckled, nodded, and went back to talk to his mate. She was already glowing with approval of bringing in homeless and orphaned children into the fold. She was all for giving children of any upbringing a second chance at life. As a mother, herself, she would do what she could.

"Maybe we should have looked into the homeless and kids for studs and females," Alex snorted. He lay back next to her in another plush bed that matched the one in their bedroom. This room in the submarine was going to stay like this as their personal room if they have to travel together. Hive link talk of acquiring a luxury jet was in motion, too.

"I don't need all of this pampering," Agatha sighed.

"But you don't complain," Alex grinned at her scowl. When the platter of various heart slices appeared, she started to tuck in. He stopped her with a small raise of his hand. Then he carefully set the plate aside with a purpose.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "I'm hungry!"

"You're not ready to eat just yet. You need to be absolutely starving first," he grinned wickedly and pulled her close, as his clothes moved off him. At the sharp giggling she gave, Isis and Sigyn sighed with a touch of jealousy.

"We'll get to them soon," Sigyn smiled.

"Not soon enough!" Isis muttered. She was always at her sexual peak. When she looked at Nick, the drone glared back. Nick didn't even have to hear the link to know what was going on through her mind. If she was anyone else, the drone would have killed her.

"I belong to my Empress. Find another," the drone snorted and looked away.

"Don't they have any toys on here?" Sigyn mused.

"Those are also for my Empress. I'm sure you don't want what she used," Nick smirked. It had too much of Alex's personality. At the face Isis made next, the drone grinned. "Just bring your own. I'm sure they have portable stuff."

"They do," Isis sighed. "I'll have to keep one handy."

"Just don't ask me to carry it for you!" Sigyn said. They looked at each other, and the sisters laughed. Nick rolled its eyes, shook its head, and went to watch over Agatha's lone cell. The drone was guarding her this way, and it would rather do its job than talk about sex toys when the situation didn't call for it.

Now that it was guarding a part of the Empress, it actually felt a touch of pride.  _I am her personal guard. The other drones couldn't hold such emotions._  Nick didn't, either, until Alex fused a part of his mind within this drone. Nick did love Agatha, but it was a love that a loyal servant would give to a mistress. Like a peasant to a royalty figure. Nick would do whatever it could to keep her happy. She would always be the drone's first priority. The other drones saw this, too, but they also knew that Nick was a special case now.

If anything, Nick was now right under their Emperor and Empress on the list of drone protection. Nick could only smile that it was going to be guarded rather heavily.  _If I went down, the Empress could be at stake._ The entire hive engrained this. There was a touch of relief that it gave back to the hive mind. It would personally guard their Empress. The others would guard Nick and the rest.

Of course, Robin, Kim, Aden, and Eddie were also the strongest drones out of them all. With each successful base siege that Alex did, they all evolved. Even when Agatha claimed her pieces back, they evolved just a touch further. The evolving also seemed to strengthen the bond within the hive mind. It was why they always cared for Agatha and would never let her want or get hurt. Whatever tried to get through Alex would have to go through them. And, if need be, Alex wouldn't be touched if they could help it. Whoever tries to attack them at this base wouldn't have a chance to blink. It was already guaranteed.


	82. Chapter 82

When they finally reached the base, Agatha was an hour away from giving birth. Alex couldn't do anything until the eggs were out of her.

"Zeus, I was thinking over what you said. About me consuming my old DNA and aging," she said. "When it first happened, it was right after Rhea was born. I didn't have any of my old DNA yet. I was just...birthing so much..."

"Hush," Alex whispered and thought. "You're right. But, I think you're aging faster from consuming your old DNA. Remember what was happening when you were eating that Hunter meat from the Russian base? And, think about it. This base is covered in old DNA. I do have a new cell of yours. Ah. Nick will inject it into you the moment the strain becomes too much. We should have brought two of them. I hope one will be enough."

"It should be," she smiled. "Oh! We didn't bring back any of Dana's DNA did we?"

"Ah...fuck..." Alex winced. "No. We didn't."

"I guess you'll get to fuck me when we get back home?" she grinned.

"Fuck that!" he growled. "Okay. Ragland is preparing a shot right now. It's going into a water-tight case. The drones will swim fast to get here."

"So, we can't do anything until the eggs are out of me and until I get that DNA here. Just...sit on our asses, I guess?" she frowned.

"You know what?" he mused. "I think I know what to do while we wait another five hours. Of course, it does mean that we may be waiting another two hours after the DNA we need gets here. We have enough cooked meat here to curb your hunger. One of the rooms did become a massive freezer, anyways. Hah! Since this submarine was the first one we claimed, the drones are already turning into your personal transport. I like that. Then again, they already did with the bedroom."

"The drones seem to be taking quite a few matters into their own hands."

"Well, they are evolving to take better steps to protect you."

"And you, too."

"I find that unnecessary," Alex smirked.

"They know that if you fall in a fight that I would be hurt. They don't want that to happen," she said softly. "Nick has been telling me much."

"I see."

"They are also very worried about this base, too. Like the others, they don't know how it will affect me. What am I supposed to think? Oh...do you think I should take in my piece? Before going into the base?"

"No," Alex said with a strong shake of his head. He  _knew_  what would happen if she saw her piece first! "Work with the base first. That's the harder part."

"Okay," she nodded.

"Your piece is in a frozen chamber of ice. I don't want you to feel any pain of it thawing out. It could disturb your focus."

"Ah! Yes. You're right," she nodded again.

"Are you hungry?"

"You don't like to hear my thoughts?" she grinned.

"Only when you aren't being a bitch," he snorted.

"Since when am I not a bitch?" she retorted.

"Okay. Fine. You wanna be like that?" he smirked and reached for a fresh jar of body paint. Now that he neatly shut her up once again, the breeders in the base were trying to figure out the best way to let their mother walk through it.

"We don't want any pauses," Hermanubis said.

"Agreed," Osiris nodded.

"Is Isis still recovering?" he grinned.

"She'll recover faster than you know," Osiris muttered.

"Much faster," Isis smirked when she walked over. Osiris narrowed his eyes at her.  _She was pregnant now. She shouldn't be walking._

"Go back to bed," he growled.

"Make me," she said in haughty tone. "Besides, I have a couple hours before I have to lay down. I felt like walking about for a bit."

"Isis..." her mate growled.

"I think he's concerned about what our Emperor would think if he saw you walking about like this," Hermanubis sighed. She wasn't wearing much to keep her pregnancy from hindering her clothing. "And I know he's with Mother now."

"They have to wait on Dana's DNA to get here," Osiris thought aloud. "We should store backup cells of Mother and Dana's DNA in each base we acquire. To have them on hand."

"No," Nick said, as the drone walked over. The drone had Agatha's cell in a specialized pouch over its hips. "Think about it. Should something go wrong, and those resources are recovered, we practically handed over our Empress. It's not worth the risk. If I have to, I'll carry both shots on me from now on."

"Understood," Osiris said respectfully.

"Granted, we may never have to worry about such a thing. But, why take the risk? The last thing that any of us want to see is our Emperor, and my Liege, getting pissed," it smirked.

"Point made," Hermanubis nodded.

"As to how our Empress plans to take in her DNA, I'm sure instinct will guide her. And you need to go lay down," Nick snorted at Isis.

"I don't want to!" Isis growled.

"Go. Lay. The fuck. Down," Alex growled through his drone. That made her pale, nod with respect, and hurry off to the bedroom. "Osiris. Go with her."

"Of course, my Emperor," he said with a pursed set of lips to hold back his laughter. _It was only too obvious as to who was giving the orders._

"Hermanubis. Check and see how far down this hollow rock goes. If it's a volcano, we'll need the heat source if this base is to survive," the drone ordered.

"I'll do that. Do we have enough food here?" Hermanubis asked.

"We have drones fishing. We have enough. There was also a mass amount of Hunter meat brought, too. We are fine on feeding you guys. Go check on Sigyn first. Then look into the volcano. There is a chance that our Empress may be pregnant again by the time Dana's DNA gets here. Just so you're aware of it."

"I figured as much," Hermanubis chuckled. When the breeder male left, Alex had Nick go to the wall to run a hand over it. Much to his surprise, the drone could feel Agatha's DNA. And the drone was deeply affected by it. As much as he should be alarmed, he knew that it was drone's instinctive response to protect her.  _It wanted to ensure that this would never happen again. It would fight with everything it had._

As Alex mused over the drone's thoughts, he also recalled that it was Nick that was adamant to be there from the island when the first wave hatched.  _It was also Nick that insisted that it guard the breeders, too, when Ragland wanted to test the eggs._  On gleaning the hive link even further, he made a startling discovery.  _Nick was the very first drone that hatched. Robin was the third one that hatched. Nick was the driving force to ensure that everything went right. And it also explains why I chose Nick to be Agatha's personal guardian._

Letting the thoughts settle back down, he let Agatha sleep against him. There was much that needed to be done. All he had to do was wait and let the current events unfold.


	83. Chapter 83

Dana's DNA was secured the moment it arrived by swimming drones. Much to their pleasant surprise, another cell from Agatha was also given over. An extra vial of Dana's DNA was with it, too. Hariti had insisted to have the spares sent just in case they were needed. From what she had gleaned in the hive link, she wanted Nick to have the spares ready at all times.

"Good," Alex muttered. "Hera. Are you well enough to try and get your DNA now?"

"I think so," she nodded. "Um...stay close, Zeus? Please?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he smiled and kissed her gently. "Come on."

"I'm still healing, though," she frowned. He had a large steak delivered to her to speed up the process. Their second set of drones were developing swiftly. The new drones were on the verge of hatching. Most of them would stay here at the base. The rest would infiltrate to the last three bases remaining. Once she had healed up, he dressed her in one of the togas she had brought. He seemed to grin at a thought, and she looked at him curiously.

"With the way your hair is, I could almost swear that you're Medusa," he grinned.

"Best not tell Poseidon that," she grinned back.

"He can fuck off," Alex snorted. She laughed at him and got squeezed. "He's with Artemis, anyways. Oh. They were one of the first breeder sets, huh?"

"Yes. And they are helping out with Osiris and Isis in testing homeless recruits," she nodded. "They already have a few promising leads, too."

"Good. Very good to hear," he nodded. "The less we have to rely on military jarheads, the better off I'll feel about it."

"I thought you liked them?" she smirked.

"I tolerate them," he smirked back. When they walked into the snow from the landing pad that was made for the submarine, she froze up with a form of tense anger. The outer structures that Isis saw before definitely had a coating of Agatha's DNA. Alex found a tendril coiling around his arm in a rather gentle manner.  _I am her equal. She would never harm me._ Nodding to her, he kept a hand pressed to her back to show he was there.

She took a deep breath and walked up to the first standing steel pillar. As she ran a hand over it, her tendrils of hair began to coil around the metal structure in full. It wasn't very tall, thankfully, but her tendrils of hair were able to just barely cover over it. Alex found himself standing next to her when he got pulled close to her side.  _She was frustrated._ She couldn't get her DNA out of the steel, and she was starting to get pissed.

_:Why can't I get it?!:_  She mentally screamed.

_:Calm yourself, Hera.:_  He soothed.  _:Try to act like a sponge.:_

_:A sponge?:_  She blinked. Her tendrils now started to massage around the pole, as the suctions made from them started to draw out what was hers. The tactic worked. He noticed that it was much harder for her, though. It was as though her DNA was sealed into the metal. By the time she was able to draw herself away, she was drained. However, he saw that frost was finally coating over the steel structure.

"Zeus..." she whispered weakly.

"This is gonna take time," he muttered and sighed. "Okay. Can you walk?"

"Barely," she winced. "I don't know...what they did to...my DNA..."

"I know," he said softly and held her.

"Mother?" Osiris asked when he walked over.

"It took a lot out of her get her DNA," Alex said. "We may need more of her cells. And she may need to do one room at a time with rests in between. How many rooms are coated with her DNA? Do we know?"

"Twenty rooms and fully coated over. Even the floors," Osiris winced.

"There's no way to prep each room, is there? Any furniture involved?" he asked now.

"No. It's just the walls, ceilings, and floors. We can clear out each room before she walks into it. I'm guessing that her piece will be last?" Osiris asked, as he watched her.

"You can believe it," Alex snorted. "Prep each room for her. We'll need to see how long it takes for her to recover. And definitely have more cells sent. Maybe faster by air?"

"It would be. We can get a lab going here for backup DNA for all of us, too," Osiris said.

"I'd rather not. Just have what you know we need. The military has this base on file. Yes, we can protect it, but I won't take the risk," Alex said sternly. "Agatha?"

"Hmm?" she mumbled softly. She was actually partially asleep. He picked her up to cradle her and took her back into the submarine. Setting her on the bed carefully, he smoothed her hair back. She woke up a bit more now that she was warming up, and he realized that it was the cold.  _The scientists did something to her DNA to absorb the cold!_

"You're cold, aren't you?" he frowned.

"Just...sluggish..." she seemed to frown back. "I'm feeling better now that I'm warming up, though. I can get the other structures. There's...what? Five others out there?"

"I think so. Okay, we'll tackle the outer ones first. You will have to warm up after each one. We'll see how you are after each DNA removal. Your DNA may have kept the cold out, but it was absorbing it. I don't think they knew. We'll work on removing all of the DNA first. We may be able to activate a heater to start warming up various rooms, too."

"I wouldn't," she said. "If I am able to remove my DNA when it's cold, I don't know how it would be when it's warmed up. Keep a room warm after I remove myself. This way you can take me into it to recover. That may work best."

"Done," he nodded. Over the course of two hours, he took her outside the submarine, let her get her DNA, and brought her back in to warm up. Once the outer structures were cleared, he finally took her into the base. The moment she walked into the main entrance, her body went taught with even more rage. Alex kept his hand on her back to remind her that he was there. Her tentacled hair moved to swiftly scour over every inch of the room, but there was always one tendril that coiled around his form gently to show that he was trusted.

"Hermanubis," Osiris whispered.

"What?" the breeder male asked.

"Do you notice that Mother's hair seems to be longer now?"

"Ah...hmm..." Hermanubis thought. "I can't really tell."

"When it reforms, you will see what I'm talking about," he muttered. "Her hair is adapting to take back her DNA easier. I honestly think that Mother could easily put our Emperor in his place if something goes wrong."

"She does that, anyways," Hermanubis smirked. Osiris agreed, but he knew how powerful his mother was getting. He saw how her hair was curled about Alex's form. He knew it was a sense of equality, and that his Emperor was safe. As much as he wanted to feel jealous about such affection being given, he was quick to curb that thought. As he thought over the situation again, he actually felt a touch of pity for anyone that tried to tear Alex away from her in this mood.  _There would likely be nothing left of the intruder._

Now that Hermanubis was gleaning thoughts from the hive link, he saw what Osiris was noticing. He had to test something. Osiris looked at him with disbelief and shook his head. Hermanubis only shrugged and walked over to his mother.

"Stop!" Nick shouted quickly and barred his path. "Don't act like a fucking moron!"

"I just need to see if it's true!" the breeder male argued.

"Our Empress is in such a mood that she may see you as an enemy!" Nick growled. "The main reason as to why we, as drones, keep the lot of you safe from her in her moods is to not only protect you from the threat! It's to protect  _you_  from  _her_!"

"What?" he blinked. At the mental thought the drone got next, it gave a small nod.

"You want proof? Fine. Go up to her. But, don't think for a fucking second that I won't pull you away next time. This once, I won't stop you," Nick growled again. Alex was not happy, but sometimes they had to learn for themselves. He simply kept his hand on his mate's back, as her hair kept moving over various steel panels inch by inch.

The moment Hermanubis got within five yards, Agatha snapped her head around, and her hair launched at him. The breeder male gasped at the squeezing that was done at first. If Alex wasn't there, he might have been killed.

"Hush," Alex whispered to her. "It's Hermanubis."

"It...oh..." she blinked and withdrew her hair. At the sight of her son on the ground, she cringed and moved to his side to hug him. "Did I hurt you?"

"I don't know..." Hermanubis admitted. He was slightly out of breath from the constriction. One of the drones appeared with a large steak for him.

"Fucking moron," Alex muttered. The breeder male could only nod while he ate. When the empty plate was removed, Alex showed how irritated he was about the whole thing. "Don't pull that shit again! She could have killed you!"

"I honestly didn't recognize you," she frowned and ran a hand over her son's cheek to make him look at her. "Now that I see why you did it, it will need to be addressed. If something does happen, I cannot see my children as enemies. Alex, you will have to be my eyes. If one of my children comes up to me in the future with something important, you will have to tell me."

"Very well," Alex nodded. She hugged Hermanubis tight to show that she didn't mean to harm him like that. He stiffened at the feel of her hair coiling about him, but he realized that it was a comforting feeling now. _It was purely an apology._  He hugged her back now and seemed to give in at the warmth that she gave him. She never wanted any of her children to fear her. He shivered and pressed his face into her neck as she held him.

"It's okay," she soothed in a motherly tone. "Never be afraid of me. There is no need for that. Warn ahead when you are coming to me in this mood. Alex will help me see you properly. As much as you are an idiot for doing such a thing, this is good to know for the future. I hope you've learned your lesson."

"I know it," Hermanubis agreed. A kiss was pressed to his cheek, and she let him go. When he showed that he was hesitant to leave her side, Alex put a protective hand on his mate's shoulder and glared hard. That was enough for him to quickly stand up and turn away to regain control. He couldn't believe the thoughts that went through his mind!

"You'd better go back to Sigyn," Nick advised.

"Right," Hermanubis was quick to agree with the drone. Sigyn was clearly upset and needed him right then and there. She knew it wasn't his fault.  _That it was instinct._  She simply wanted to cement their bond again. Isis was soon calling for Osiris after what was witnessed in the link. Osiris was all too eager to leave the room.

"He'd better not fucking try to see you!" Alex seethed with a form of jealousy. It was curbed when Agatha planted her mouth on his. At her wry smile, he could only smile back.

"Sigyn is reminding him that he's taken," she smiled. "And, you may have noticed, Osiris has also left the room."

"I don't think I want them around you when you're like this. Yes, you were showing him that he wasn't at fault. What I didn't like was how he didn't leave when you let him go."

"You showed him that he had to leave. He understood."

"He'd better stay the fuck away," he muttered now when she kissed him again.

"Don't focus on that," she whispered in his ear to feel him tense. "I need to get the rest of my DNA. Help me stay focused. Be my eyes and ears. My voice of reason."

"I can do that," he nodded. He placed his hand on her back again, but this time he kept his senses aware. When Nick offered to help with that, he agreed. He would only respond when Nick gave a signal. It was the safest route.

Sigyn had Hermanubis back on the submarine for safety. When Agatha's DNA was gone, they would go back to see what else could be done. She was still upset that her brother desired another. Even if it was for a split second.

"I'm sorry, Sigyn..." Hermanubis whispered to her in a mating embrace. "I didn't...mean to do it! I won't let it happen again!"

"Please don't..." she whimpered. "I couldn't bear it...if you left me..."

"Never happen!" he snarled and let the bond they had reseal flawlessly once more.


	84. Chapter 84

Six grueling hours went by. At least it was grueling to Alex. Agatha was too absorbed in trying to get her DNA back. She didn't even notice the time go by. When they hit the last room, Alex could only breathe a sigh of relief. But, he was also worried.  _Her piece still had to merge with her. She was going to be exceptionally livid when she finds out the state it's in._

Right after the last tile was smoothed over with her tentacled hair, she seemed to sag against her mate with relief. The rooms were starting to get cold, but various drones were able to excavate the dormant volcano. There was enough of a heat source with the use of steam to set up some kind of a heating ventilation system. The base was starting to warm up considerably. Unfortunately, it also meant that the ice room her piece was in was starting to get warm, too.

"Hera, we have to get your piece to you. Now. It's starting to thaw out, and you might feel some pain," Alex whispered to her.

"I'm so cold..." she shivered. Now he was worried once again.  _She had to warm up, but her piece was thawing out at an incredible rate, too._

"My Emperor!" Hermanubis said when he jogged over. "Take her into the Mess Hall. We have some stoves going. We can bring her piece in there, too."

"Good," Alex nodded.

"And...don't worry about me. Sigyn is the one I want," he said.

"Good," Alex said again, but with a stern tone. Agatha was half conscious now.  _Cold weather usually didn't harm her. Her bedroom was next to a freezer at the main base, after all. It was just all the cold DNA she had to absorb back into her body._

"My Liege," Kim said and placed a large, sizzling steak on a table to be eaten. Aden set down some warm tea for her to drink. Robin was standing nearby to glare at any that got too close for comfort that didn't need to be there. Eddie was waiting with Agatha's piece. Nick had its focus on the hive link to ensure that everything was running smoothly.

"Nick, keep your focus. You know why," Alex muttered and helped Agatha warm up from the hot food. The drone gave a sharp nod.  _The hive link was going to shake from the pain it was going to endure._ All of the breeders were on edge. Even the twins didn't know what to think. The young Queens would be comforted. Cronus was already holding Rhea.

"Okay," Agatha said after the last bite of steak and drank the rest of the tea. "Where is my piece? I'm ready to see it."

"I'll get Eddie," Nick said and sent the message. The moment her eyes rested on the mangled piece in the clear, semi-frozen tank of solution, she screamed. She had no idea that this knowledge was kept from her. The piece was still thawing out, so the pain didn't hit yet.

"No one...told me this?!" she seethed with rage.

"Yes, Hera, we kept this from you," Alex soothed her enraged mind carefully. "You had to focus on getting your DNA. Once you take this piece, we can go home."

"What...did they...do...?" she whimpered and let him hug her tight.

"They hacked off parts of you as they saw fit. None of them are alive now," he growled. She started to tremble. The pain the piece was in was starting to become known. "Take your piece, Hera. You have to."

"They just...cut me...in half..." she winced and clung to him. "I have scars..."

"No," he soothed again. "Not you. It happened to your piece. Hurry now. Don't you want to go home? I know I do."

"I just..." she shivered, as pain started to wrack her mind. She felt sick and woozy now. Nick was showing mild strains from the link. Alex grimaced and moved his hand through her hair to let the tendrils form. Then he gently placed them into the tank. They instinctively moved to claim what was lost. Each mangled part was consumed quickly to relieve the pain. When her tendrils withdrew from the empty tank, she feinted.

"Submarine. Home. Now," Alex muttered and lifted her up to carry her. "Nick. Her cell and DNA! Meet me in the bedroom!"

"Yes, my Liege!" the drone nodded and bolted out of the base. The drone was quick to get into the bedroom on the submarine to start preparing for the arrival of its Empress. Kim was next to appear to start adding several platters of variously cooked meats and delicacies. Robin and Eddie were escorting Alex. Aden ensured they had a clear path.

"The moment our Empress is secured, we leave," Aden said to Osiris. "If you wish to leave, make sure to be here."

"Got it," he nodded and sent out the message. Atum was already planning to stay behind with his sister. The base was completely overrun with drones. The last three bases were already being completely infiltrated. The last three pieces of Agatha were secured and waiting for pickup. Alex was just relieved that this part of the job was almost done.

"When we get back, Eir will meet her King," Alex muttered softly. Agatha could only nod and cry out at the injection of the new cell. Then she shivered at the feel of Dana's DNA being reintroduced into her body. Alex was quick to claim her as his mate again. As a safeguard, both Hermanubis and Osiris were sent out of the submarine. Only after this was done were they allowed back in.

Even as they came back in, Osiris shook his head from the scent that assaulted him. Hermanubis was no better. They both looked at each other and cringed before making a beeline to their mates. For a split second, they were ready to fight each other to the right to be at their mother's side. Only after Alex claimed her did the scent fully vanish from the air.

"I'm fucking you senseless the whole way back!" Osiris growled at Isis.

"You think I'm going to stop you?" she smirked. He grinned wickedly and kissed her hard. It was after the submarine started to move that she realized how hard he was claiming her. Even she knew that he was mildly affected by their mother's scent. Hermanubis was in the same boat. Sigyn was just barely able to handle his sexual appetite right now.

Nick stayed just inside the bedroom door. Robin took its place outside it. Kim, Aden, and Eddie were seeing to Agatha's every need.

"Nick," Alex said when he finally moved from the bed. "Take my place. I need to talk to Osiris. Face to face."

"He's fucking Isis," the drone grinned.

"He has ten fucking minutes to find a stopping point," he snorted. Nick nodded, let Alex leave, and reclined into the bed.

"I still can't believe what they did to my piece," Agatha fretted softly. Nick placed a hand over hers with a smile.

"All of this will be over soon," the drone vowed. "and I'll stand by you every step of the way. You have my vow."


	85. Chapter 85

While Alex and Osiris went over strategies on how to walk into the next base, Eir was getting tired of waiting. As a precaution, drones were set to guard Agatha's room before she left. It was a good thing they stayed there. Ragland and Hariti were finally able to get their daughter back under heel with the news that everyone was on their way back.

"Be patient," Hariti smiled and served her daughter a plate of various meats and cheeses. "Our Emperor is coming home right now. The moment Mother is settled in, I am sure you will meet your King. Just a few more hours. Okay?"

"Why can't I just go to him now?!" Eir grumbled.

"Eir," Ragland said sternly. "I don't think you want Alex to talk to you."

"He can contact you in the link now," Hariti warned. "I don't think he would find what you want to do very appealing."

"I don't think he cares," she said haughtily. "He's probably not even listening!"

_:I am VERY disappointed in you! I expect to speak with you before you see your King!:_  Alex sent to her through the link. She paled and trembled hard now. There was no malice in the thought. There was no threat. Just by him telling her that he was displeased was enough to send an instinctive form of panic through her mind.

"Warned you," Hariti said with a soft smile. Eir started to tear up from fright. She ended up getting rocked in her mother's arms. Now that she was getting consoled, Ragland could only sigh at what just happened.  _But, maybe now she would listen to us._

"Eat your dinner and go to bed," Ragland said. "And don't expect to come out of your room. Alex will know. And you can count on him asking for you later."

"Yes, Dad," Eir sniffled.

"Remember, Eir," Hariti smiled. "once you get your King, he will claim you. Then you will likely go to the base near England. It may as well be the last time we get to see you for a while. I don't want to see you leave in this situation. After our Emperor talks to you, please behave yourself. We don't want him to kill you."

"He would...?" Eir paled even more.

"It's possible," Ragland said gently. "You know how he can be now."

"I just...I want to be with my King..." she whispered.

"And you will. You just need to be patient for a little bit longer. Okay?" Hariti said. "Now, do as your father says. Eat your dinner and get to bed. I'll wake you up when our Emperor is close. And don't argue with us anymore."

"Yes, Mother," she said with defeat. She had just turned eighteen days old. Ragland and Hariti looked at each other with soft smiles. They wouldn't feel the urge to be together until their daughter was claimed by a King. That would start the thought of having them want to be together. It was the same way it was with Hermes and Dana.

"What do you think?" Hariti asked when Eir retired to her room.

"She's borderlined independent now," Ragland sighed. She moved to start giving him a backrub, and he chuckled. "I guess it can't be helped."

"That it can't," she agreed. "I do worry about her now."

"Why?"

"My Emperor showed displeasure to her. I know he won't hurt her, but he may force her to take on more responsibility."

"She has to do that, anyways."

"It's just...losing my daughter. I know I'll miss her," she admitted. Ragland turned in his chair to hold her hands with a smile.

"Then, we'll have to make you another one. Won't we?" he chuckled. At her blush, he laughed a bit. "Not now, though. We'll wait until Eir has her King."

"Why not now?" Hariti asked. At that, he cleared his throat and escorted her to their bedroom. A drone was already in front of their door in case Eir tried to sneak out. In another room, Toshimichi was talking to one of his childhood friends.

" _Mamoru! Just the one I wanted to speak with,_ " Toshimichi chuckled over the phone.

" _Toshi! I haven't heard from you in some time. How are you?_ " the lighter voice asked.

" _Not bad at all. Although, I would be lying, if I said that everything was fine. A lot has happened to me in the past few days. And the rest of the family, too. Some for the worst. Some for the best. You know how it goes. I can't really talk about it here, though. It can only be done face to face. It can't be helped._ "

" _That bad?! Wow. Well, I can't say that I really have much time to spare. I've been working quite a bit._ "

" _I can understand that. Benzaiten? Ah. Thank you, love,_ " Toshimichi said when he was handed some tea. " _Are you feeling well? Okay. I can give you a good backrub in a bit._ "

" _Are you...with someone?_ " his friend asked.

" _Ah, yes! I got married,_ " he chuckled. Now there was a long pause.

" _You got married?!_ " Mamoru suddenly said with disbelief. " _You said that I was to be your best man if that happened! When did this happen?_ "

" _Oh. I did, didn't I? Well, it just sort of...happened. She appeared in my life, and I was just...well...love at first sight. That's how it happened. We got along so well, that, um...we married the same day. I'll have to tell you about it, if you come to see me. Sakuma also got married. Tsuneo did, too! As for Yasunori...eh..._ "

" _I know,_ " the man snorted. " _But, I hope he's happy._ "

" _He should be now._ "

" _Oh?_ "

" _He's dead,_ " Toshimichi said softly. At the shocked silence on the other end, he continued, " _There is a lot that went on. Both good and bad. I can't say anything more. If you want to see me to learn what happened, go to the Port of Tokyo. There is a hidden military faction there. If you are questioned, just tell them that I sent you. Use my full name._ "

" _I think...um..._ "

" _It was risky for me to call you. If you can't talk to me, then I can't talk to you anymore. I...I'm sorry. I didn't want to bring you into this, but I needed a friend. I could contact Arata. He might be able to speak with me..._ "

" _NO!_ " Mamoru said quickly. " _Don't bring anyone else into this! I'll talk to you. But ONLY if you bring in no one else!_ "

" _I wish I could promise that. However, if you speak with me, I will not contact anyone else. You have my word on that,_ " Toshimichi said.

" _How soon do I have to meet you?_ "

" _As soon as you can. Also, I would pack as though you are leaving for a long trip. A month long trip, maybe._ "

" _But...my job! My home! I can't just leave it!_ "

" _I had to leave my home. I have others living in it and caring for it. I had nothing else to go back to. I understand your dilemma, though._ "

" _You were cared for by your father. You had the freedom you needed. I don't._ "

" _I just said that I understood._ "

" _Husband, I feel he should not come,_ " Benzaiten said loud enough to be heard. At the sound of her warm, soft, melting voice, his friend could only give silence. " _If he is questioning your honor and integrity, I feel that it is a bad sign. If he cannot make the time to see one that needs his help, then he should not come at all._ "

" _But..._ " he started. At her wink, he already knew what she was doing. " _Well...if you think I can't trust him with the secret..._ "

" _I'll make arrangements to leave right now! I have some time off that I need to use, anyways. I can probably pull strings for a week, though. It's the most I can do,_ " Mamoru said with defeat. Benzaiten nodded to her husband and got pulled close to get kissed. A rub on her belly to feel a small kick made her beam at him.

" _I'll be notified when you start to come by,_ " Toshimichi said. When the phone call ended, he gave a small look at his wife. " _What do you think?_ "

" _Of him? He could work. But...you know what would happen if he declines,_ " she said softly. He could only nod. Pulling her into his lap, he took out his phone to start bringing up some videos he had on it. After another few minutes, the phone was set aside when her needs became far more important than watching a movie.


	86. Chapter 86

It was another six hours when the submarine finally docked into the base. Alex and Nick were helping a very pregnant Agatha carefully move from the submarine to her bedroom. A gurney was brought over to help, and it was used quickly. Nick kept her hips and legs stable. Alex was in charge of her head and torso.

"I'm not dying!" Agatha grumbled.

"You will be when we settle you back in bed and I fuck you again," Alex growled in her ear. She blushed hard and scowled at Nick's grin. Alex suddenly glanced up and turned to look down a particular hallway that led towards Ragland's room. He smirked and refocused back on his mate. Nick knew that he needed to talk to Eir.  _The young Queen had to be put in her place._

"How did it go?" Robert asked when he walked over to help open doors.

"She got pissed at what her piece looked like," Alex sighed. "It was inevitable."

"So I was told. The kids behaved themselves?" he asked now.

"They're still alive. Says something, right?" Alex grinned.

"Point made," Robert chuckled. Agatha looked at him and smiled softly. Robert smiled back and helped get her bed ready for her. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. About to go into labor. The usual bullshit," she muttered.

"Anubis sent you a gift. He wanted me to give it to you," Robert grinned now and pulled out a small bar of gourmet chocolate. "If you like that, he'll send more in bulk."

"Chocolate is fine. No more fucking cock rings!" Alex snarled out. That had Robert laughing. "I had to keep putting that damned thing on!"

"But, it worked, right?" Nick grinned.

"Fuck you. Yes. It did," Alex rolled his eyes. Nick kept grinning and helped Kim set up various platters of meat. Agatha was licking her fingers clean from the chocolate bar. She clearly wanted more. When he reclined next to her, he said, "Germany is next on the list for sure. Osiris will be meeting with the head scientist in the next couple of days. However, I need measures taken. Many may resort to trying to drug others. From what my drones have seen being concocted in those labs, we will need a vaccine."

"Hedeyasu and Ragland will need to know," Robert frowned.

"They know now," Aden said. "The twins spoke with them."

"Good. Have samples of everything being made in that base sent here for testing. We need to know what they are working on," Alex ordered.

"Can't you just take over someone?" Robert asked.

"I could have a drone do it. But, sometimes doing things the hard way has more rewards," Alex grinned. "More surprises, too."

"I thought you were trying to avoid surprises," the Commander frowned.

"Depends on the situation. However, since you suggested it, I'll have a drone take over the head drug man in charge," Alex snorted. "Fuck it. May as well. And...done! Okay, what does this guy know...hmm. Fuck."

"What?" Agatha asked.

"Okay, Commander. You're right on having my drone take over someone. These guys were secretly working on drugs to counter me. Not antiviral, but based on it. More like sleep drugs. Paralysis. Fuck!" he swore again. "Okay, laboratory files are found. Oh, good. They did make antidotes. Wait. What's that?!"

"What's what?" Agatha asked. She finally had to access the link to see what he was looking at through the drone. She hardened her gaze and stared at the elaborate bed sheet she was in. Nick was already sending out a warning to Osiris. When the breeder male came in, he was completely livid.

"Is that fucker really going to try and poison me?!" Osiris spat.

"Like fucking  _hell_  will that happen!" Agatha seethed now. Her hair became the writhing tentacles that they were to show how angry she was. Alex was forced to snap out of the link and pull her close to calm her. He ran a gentle hand through the mass to make the hair reform.

"Calm yourself," he said. "Robert made the suggestion. I agreed with it. We know of the shit they have in store for us. We'll have an antidote ready."

"Give them the fucking drugs!" she seethed. Osiris watched her tendrils of hair coil lightly around Alex to keep him close. Alex just kept running a hand over any that allowed him to touch them. After she was calmed down again, and all of her tentacles reverted back to hair, he pressed a kiss to her mouth and ran a thumb over her chin to make her smile.

"I do like your idea on drugging them, though," Alex grinned ruefully. She smiled a bit more and got kissed again. When the kiss started to get more intense, she was forced to break away from him when the pains of labor hit. Robert was okay to be there, and he was already making plans to help.  _But, there was another that was still in the room._ Alex suddenly swerved to look at Osiris. "You. Out. Now. She's in labor!"

"We'll talk later!" Osiris said quickly and left the room. He went straight to Isis. He was still affected by his mother. He didn't know why. He didn't want Alex to attack him, either. He saw how lethal his Emperor was. He knew that he would be killed without a second thought.

"Osiris?" Isis asked softly when he approached her. She could tell that he was afraid.

"I don't know..." he whispered. "if I can be around Mother anymore. At least...not for a while. We will need to leave the moment you give birth. Okay?"

"Will we still be able to work with our Emperor?"

"Yes. That will be fine. It's just...being in her presence..."

"I think it's because you are evolving, brother love," she said. "But, remember. You're mine. I am yours. Don't break away from me."

"I honestly don't think that would happen. I think that...I'd become a temporary mate for Mother, if something did happen. But, I know nothing will. Not much else to say about it."

"Good," she said with relief. He smiled and kissed her passionately. When there was a knock on their door, he turned to answer it. She was bedridden right now from her pregnancy. What she saw next had her jaw drop with horror.

Alex was on the other side of the door, and one of his clawed hands had impaled Osiris to lift him in the air. A look of blood-thirsty vengeance was on his face when he tossed the breeder male aside. Isis was terror-stricken now. Osiris was alive, but now in severe pain. No words needed to be said on why it had to happen. Alex was proving his point as Emperor. He had to.

"I respect you for helping me with my missions. Stay the fuck away from your mother," Alex muttered under his breath. "When you feel the need to be with her, you keep your fucking thoughts out of the hive link!"

"Hard...to do..." Osiris gasped and coughed. "Was...better when...you couldn't...hear us...on Mother's side..."

"I know," Alex agreed with him completely on that. A lesser drone of Kim appeared with several large steaks for him. "And, yes. Your Mother hates what I just did. But, you know why. Heal up. I have to talk to Eir now."

"Hermanubis still has issues, too," Osiris said after he started to heal.

"I know. I already fucked him up in the same manner," Alex snorted. Osiris paused in his healing meal and blinked with complete shock. "Remember. I respect you. I like you. Don't. Fuck. With. Me."

"Yes, my Emperor," Osiris said with a swallow.

"I know you already made plans to leave. I had to enforce how correct you were," he said and trudged out of the room. "and you will have an antidote to whatever fucking poison they set you up with!"

"Osiris?!" Isis finally gasped. The drone left with the empty plate, and he moved quickly to her side. She felt where the holes were closing and trembled at the blood-stained tear marks from where the claws pierced him.

"I'm okay," he said and held her. "He just did what he knew he had to do."

"But...why?!" she whimpered.

"Why, indeed," Agatha said from the doorway. She was wearing a solid white silk toga with gold arm bands. She looked every bit like a beautiful Grecian sculpture. And she was livid. Absolutely livid. "Are you all right, Osiris? Did you heal well?"

"I'm fine, Mother," he said with a nod. She walked over to him to hug him tight.

"I'm so fucking tired of this!" she cringed. "I know why he does it. I just..."

"Mother, you should go back to our Emperor," Osiris said. "I appreciate you coming here to check on me. There's no need for it."

"She insisted," Nick said from where it stood to watch her. "The moment she healed, she had to come and see you. She'll want to check on Hermanubis, too."

"Our Emperor may get the wrong idea," Isis grimaced.

"Fuck him," Agatha said lightly. Nick looked over at her with shock. The alert was sent to Alex. He was halfway to Ragland's room when he stopped, swerved, and bolted back to her. If she was pissed at him for too long, it was risky. He had to reinstate her trust in him.

When he got back to Osiris's room, she sensed he was coming. Nick was too stunned to speak at the way her hair seemed to flow out like floating tendrils of protection. _It was enchanting. It almost looked mystifying. She was almost completely whole._

"Hera," Alex said softly. Osiris and Isis said nothing. Agatha was in a mood to protect her offspring. "I had to do what I had to do. I talked about this with you."

"And you did the same fucking thing to Hermanubis! I understand with Kings. But with my breeder sons?!" she spat. "They were already planning to fix what had to be fixed! I'm fucking done with this! I can't sit idly by while you keep attacking my children! It fucking stops as of right now!"

"You have my word," Alex said.

"Bullshit!" she snarled. "You gave me your word before!"

"Then what would you have me do?" he asked calmly. He knew that, if he retaliated, everything would collapse.  _Remaining calm was the key now._

"I..." she was not expecting that answer.

"I'm getting your parts back for you," he said and took a step forward. The tendrils wavered, but still looked lethal. "I'm getting vengeance for you. I dropped my hatred towards Robert as much as I could for you. I'm fighting instincts for you. Everything that I've done so far has been all for you. You are my life, Hera! If you want me to stop proving my point, then I will. As much as I can, I will. But, if any of them even try to attempt to touch you..."

"If they try, then I will allow you to stop them. Proving your point over thoughts is not needed. I understand for Cronus and future Kings. Not my breeder sons. They help you achieve your goals in helping me! Don't touch them anymore!" she said, as a tear finally fell from her trembling form. Alex nodded and walked up to her now. When the tendrils closed over him, he felt them squeeze, but it was a gentle squeeze. If it was any other time that he approached, she could have ripped him apart.

"Only if they touch you..." he whispered and kissed her hard.

"I'm almost tempted...to fucking...kiss them...every time you hurt them..." she muttered through his kiss. Now he broke the kiss suddenly to stare at her with shock.

"No. Don't do that..." he voiced out slowly.

"Then don't hurt them unless they deserve it," she said with a soft frown. With that said, he scooped her up and took her back to their bedroom.  _Talking to Eir would have to wait._

"I'm sorry...Hera..." he muttered when he finally was able to rip off her toga. "I'm sorry for everything..."

"Zeus..." she shivered, and he ran a hand through her hair. He ignored the tendrils that clung to him now. There was a fear in his eyes that she never saw before.

"I don't want you to kiss anyone other than me," he said with a violent shiver.

"Then don't make me want to," she replied gently. "I love you, Zeus. I probably wouldn't be standing here today if it wasn't for you."

"I love you, too," he said and crushed her to him. When his clothing peeled away, she started to touch what appeared. He couldn't stand to see her even possibly kissing another. _She didn't want to do it._ But he knew that, if he fucked up with her again, it was possible that she would to prove her point to him.  _I have to keep that from happening._  "Everything...that I've done so far...that I've pushed myself to..."

"Was for me," she smiled softly and let him finally claim her to cement their trust in each other again. It was another three hours before he was able to bring himself around again. The mating they had was intense. Far more intense than he could remember. It was as though they sealed themselves to each other all over again.  _There was so much that I was changing about myself just for her!_ He thought emotions only went to humans. He never thought that he would succumb so neatly to the power of the emotions he had for her. Even at the feel of her hand tracing up his viral chest, it was a feeling of elation.

"Hera," he whispered. When she looked at him with a soft smile, he smiled back. "I still need to talk to Eir. She wants her King."

"I know. Be gentle to her?" she asked.

"That's a given. I'm only going to put her in her place. She will need to bond with her King in here after that. They'll go into another room. And you  _know_  that I will have to be available in order to show him who is Emperor. There is no other way," he said carefully.

"Like I told you before," she smiled and pressed into him. "I understand about Kings. But not my breeder sons. They know better. They stop themselves. Kings are brash. I hope not all of them, but I feel it will be all of them. Just don't hurt them too much."

"I know you'll feel pissed if I hurt them, but you'll know why it had to be done. As for the breeders, I vow to only harm them if they try to get close to you. I'll ignore their thoughts, too, but only if they know that they will stop themselves," he promised. She gave him a glowing smile and kissed him deeply. He felt her relief, and he sighed in relaxation when he got comfortable. "I'll talk to Eir in another hour. Make her sweat a little more."

"Evil man," she grinned.

"Only if you want me to be," he grinned back.

"Evil woman, too?" she asked mischievously.

"Bitch!" he growled at her and kissed her hard.


	87. Chapter 87

Eir was definitely nervous. She was called into a small room that was destined for her and her King. The only problem was that she didn't bond with her King yet. Alex was going to talk to her first. There would be drones around them, though, to make sure that everything was fine. It was just the fact that she felt that Alex was still displeased with her. She wasn't sure what she could do to fix it. She almost felt that she couldn't do anything.

Alex was standing in the room with his back to her to show his disapproval. She worried her lips a little and sat down in the chair that was deliberately placed in the center of the room. She had actually grown into a rather stunning girl. Her Oriental skin had darkened to the color of a pale honey brown. Her rich, brown hair was expertly coiled to fall in small ringlets down her back. Her figure was a touch more curvaceous than her mother's under the silk robe of dark blue. Her warm, brown eyes were blinking back small, nervous tears. All she could do was tremble and wait for him to speak.

"I asked you to do one thing. To wait until I got back. Didn't I?" he asked lightly.

"Yes," she winced.

"And...you doubted me. Why?"

"I just...wanted to be with my King..."

"Unsupervised. With your grandmother not there to witness and cherish your union?"

"Well..."

"And you thought I wasn't listening in. You mocked me."

"No!" she said with a hint of panic.

"You did," he said bluntly. He crossed his arms, but still kept his back to her. "You are now eighteen years old. It's time to hang up the childhood quirks. You are hereby an adult. The moment you bond with your King, he is going to want to start making drones with you."

"What?" she blinked. Now he turned to look at her over his shoulder with a smirk.

"You didn't talk to Rhea? Cronus was quick to claim her as his mate really fast. You will start breeding the moment your King bonds to you and hatches," he grinned. Then he saw her look of indecision. "What? I thought you wanted to meet your King. You aren't allowed to have any second thoughts, you know."

"There's no time to court?!" she gasped. "To get to know each other?"

"No. This isn't fairytale shit, Eir. This is real life," he growled and fully turned to glare at her. "Maybe your King will be fine with it. But, that's only  _after_  he makes you his. It will be an instinctive drive for him to be with you. It was the same with Agatha and I. I had to claim her before anything else did. The moment he hatches, your scent will call to him. He will not hesitate to show you that you belong to him."

"I see..." she winced. She was trembling now. _I can't just expect to give myself up so easily!_  Now that she contacted Rhea, she saw that her Emperor spoke the truth.

"So, I will give you a choice," Alex grunted. "Cut the bullshit tantrums. As of now. If you do and start acting like an adult, I will give you one hour to prepare yourself to bond with an egg. If you pull anymore of your shit, I will drag you to an egg and force you to bond with it. Whether you like it or not. You have a duty to perform. You will either do it willingly, or you will do it kicking and screaming. I don't care. You are a Queen. Start acting like one!"

"Yes, my Emperor," she said with a small nod. He wasn't there to console her. He wasn't there to tell her things in a sugar-coated way. He was there to give her a reality check. He delivered it well. "I will wait an hour. Then I'll be ready."

"If you're not at my bedroom door in an hour," he warned. "I will find you personally."

"No need for that, my Emperor," she said with a small swallow.

"There is too much shit for me to do right now. Me worrying over you acting like a child shouldn't be one of them!" he growled at her. "Grow. Up. Now."

She nodded again, and he gestured for her to leave. He knew she was going to burst into tears in her mother's arms, but it was expected. Alex scared her into submission. _She'll be fine in an hour. I have to be the one that has to put both Queens and Kings in their places. It simply had to be done._  Muttering to himself, he trudged back to Agatha's room.

"I'm guessing the meeting went well?" she smiled.

"Reality check of her life," he grumbled.

"It had to be done," she smiled a bit more.

"I know," he agreed. "After she bonds with her King, we'll wait for him to hatch. The moment they bond, I'll meet with him to show him who's in charge. As much as I want to get Germany out of the way, I have to wait for him to leave with her."

"That much I do know," she sighed. "But...do you think I can go with you again?"

"No," he said with a quick shake of his head. "It was fine for Antarctica. We had that base locked down as ours. There are too many living scientists in Germany. If they find you, it could mean the end of you and everything we've done. And, if they were working on drugs to pit against Osiris, I really don't want you in that kind of danger!"

"I can take care of myself, you know," she smirked.

"I know you can."

"Couldn't I simply stay on the submarine?"

"It's faster to move by air than sea."

"Nick would be with me."

"And that drone will be with you here as another version of me," Alex said. "I know I said not to kiss anyone else. Nick is an exception."

"Because you put your mind in it?" she asked.

"Yes. I could try an experiment. It would be risky, though."

"An experiment?"

"To fully take on Nick's form and become that drone. To take the drone over in full."

"But...Nick would be lost!"

"It's possible. But, I may save that as a last resort. We do have cells of all of the honor guards here. We could clone Nick again. I could give the drone all of the memories it would need. But, like I said, only if the shit really hits the fan would I do that."

"I don't think I would like that," she admitted. "Nick is someone I can rely on now. I don't want Nick hurt. I understand why you would..."

"Hera," Alex said gently and moved to hug her in the bed. "It may never come to that, okay? It's a possibility. That's all. It's why I'm talking about it with you. Now, let's push it aside and focus on you. You're hungry. Let's feed you."

"Sure," she mumbled and gave in to the kiss he gave her. When the door opened to find Nick walking in, Alex rose a brow.

"My Liege," Nick said softly. "I was thinking over your conversation just now. Can you give me a piece of yourself to hold onto? If something does happen to you, I am willing to let you use my body as a host to come back."

"Nick!" she gasped. Alex rose up a hand to calm her, and he turned to regard the drone.

"There is a piece of me stored here. I did swap out my parts earlier. If you feel that you absolutely must, you can take a small part of it. You would know how," Alex said carefully. "Just remember. If something does happen to me, you might be fully consumed."

"I'm aware of it, my Liege. It will all be for our Empress," Nick nodded respectfully.

"I wonder," Agatha mused. "if Nick is so much a part of you now, can it leave a piece of itself here, too? Just as a precaution?"

"That would be something to consider," Alex blinked.

"I will test it," Nick nodded and left. The rest of the hour was spent with Alex in loving bliss with his mate. Nick had reported that it couldn't leave a part of itself, but Ragland did gain some of its blood to keep in storage. When Robin reported that Eir was on her way, Alex and Agatha both dressed to be presentable.

"When she bonds with the egg, it will be moved to the room I was in," Alex said.

"Okay," she nodded.

"And, if that King tries to fuck with you or me..." he growled.

"Only if it happens," she chided softly. He sighed and nodded. He promised her that his protection over his status would only happen if something was done. At the sight of Eir walking in carefully, he crossed his arms over his chest. He was still very displeased with her.

"I have come," Eir said softly.

"Good. Look at the eggs and find the one that calls to you," Agatha said gently. Eir nodded, licked her lips, and walked over to the specialized tentacle that held the eggs. Hariti and Ragland were both there to watch. Robert had to be there, and he stood with his kids. Apollo, Hermes, Dionysus, and Osiris were there to bear witness. Hermanubis was able to be there the moment Sigyn gave birth. As much as the breeder males were nervous around Alex, they knew that Agatha granted a lot more leeway. She loved all of her children and constantly proved it.

Eir glanced back at her mother and nodded at the gesture to hurry. She studied over each King egg carefully. Then she saw one of the bodies twitch at her closeness. Swallowing now, she placed her hands on the egg. Her eyes widened when the body pressed back to seal the bond.

"Take that egg to the room she talked to me in earlier," Alex said.

"Yes, my Liege," Aden said when it walked in. "Eir, you may follow me."

"Okay," she nodded. The body was now growing long, straight black hair. The body build was gaining muscle, too, but in a rather lean, athletic way. He was starting to resemble a young, Japanese male with a rather scholarly look to him. Eir clearly wanted a romantic streak. She was going to get it. Now that she was pacified with a King, Ragland took a side-long glance at his wife. At Hariti's hard blush, she had to practically run back to their bedroom to avoid getting her rump goosed by him. That had Hermes laughing hard. Robert chuckled and left when he was told that Sakuma needed to speak with him about Toshimichi's friend.

"At least he'll be busy," Alex smirked.

"I wonder how Loki and Asteria are," Agatha smiled. "I would like them to have dinner with us at some point. I think another family dinner would be wonderful."

"We can do that," he nodded. "It has been awhile since it happened. And you did enjoy it. Of course, the banters may be upped a notch."

"Do not invite Loki!" Hermes scowled.

"Well, now we have to," Alex grinned savagely. Hermes groaned, and Dionysus laughed at him. Apollo rose a brow and glanced over at Osiris and Hermanubis.

"We'll be there for the dinner," Osiris smiled.

"Maybe we can go over a few battle plans," Hermanubis said.

"We could do that," Alex nodded. "When Eir's King is born we can plan for it. Now the lot of you need to beat it."

"Yes, my Emperor," Dionysus bowed.

"Ass kisser," Hermanubis smirked.

"Me the ass kisser? Ah, no," Dionysus said. "You're the one going on missions with him! You always have to kiss his ass!"

"All of you will be kissing the floor, if you don't scram!" Alex growled. Apollo shoved them all out of the room and closed the door with Robin's help. He muttered to himself and relaxed at Agatha's hand in his hair. Closing his eyes, he lay back and let her cuddle into him.  _She'll be giving birth in a few hours. The dinner could be done after the eggs were out of her._ He was curious about the new King, though. He'd just have to wait and see if this one was as brash as Cronus. In a way, he hoped so. _It would give me a solid reason to kick some ass and not get in any trouble for it._


	88. Chapter 88

Eir could only stare at the egg that was destined for her. She had never bothered to get any information from Rhea about what to do. All of it was instinctive. But, now that Rhea was able to experience what Eir needed to do, the information was given freely. Eir was shocked that it would only take three hours for her King to hatch. He was already developing swiftly.

Time seemed to fly by, as she watched her King grow and develop. When his head suddenly shifted to let his cat-like black eyes fly open to look at her, she gasped and took several steps back. He leapt out of the tentacle easily with a form of fluid grace and landed hard on the floor. The outer shell coating molded to his skin, as he grew the rest of the way. He rose up slowly from his crouch to keep from startling her. Then he reached over for a nearby towel to dry off his long, straight, black hair. It actually ended near his calf muscles. His hair was nearly as long as Agatha's was. They even formed the tentacles as though in protest from the towel dry, but his hair reverted back to the way it was quickly.

He didn't say anything to her yet. He wanted her to see him for what he was. Even as his mind connected with the hive, he felt that something was rather off.  _That something was amiss._  That was when he realized that he wasn't the only King. Cronus was able to be sensed, and the older King was not happy with a new King. As much as he wanted to challenge the older King to prove himself, he paused. Now he felt Alex's presence in the link. Instinctive submission was already given over at the warning glare he felt.

He backed down quickly and returned his attention to Eir. When he refocused on her, he noticed that her scent was already calling to him. However, he had to be gentle about it. It was something he had to do to keep her calm.

"Eir?" he asked in an impossibly deep voice. That got her jaw to drop.  _I didn't expect him to have a voice like that!_  "Is something wrong?"

"Your voice is so deep!" she whispered. Then she blushed at his chuckle. "Um...I don't think we gave you a name yet."

"Call me Hypnos," he said softly. His voice could easily put her to sleep with how soothing he could make it! "That will be the name I choose."

"I don't have a stud male yet..." she trembled.

"I don't want you to have one," he growled. He found himself blinking several times.  _Was there something in my eyes?_  "But, it will be inevitable. Hmm. Odd. My eyes are...fuzzy?! Wait. Am I going to need glasses?!"

"What?" she gaped.

"Well, you did give me the body of...I guess a scholar?" he mused. "At least from what I can understand from the others, I suppose that glasses will be needed for me. Ah. Ragland will test my sight to get a proper prescription. I can still see well enough, though. I think I'm near-sighted. It gets harder to see things far away. Damn it! Ah, well. Can't be helped. I have a few outfits in mind. The drones will help me get that done while I'm with you. I'll also need to get a library started, too. Maybe even an art studio. You gave me a rather intense literary and creative mindset! I do wonder what books and artifacts I can acquire."

"So...you..." she could only stutter. She always wanted a quiet, handsome bookworm of a guy. One that enjoyed the finest in life of both passion and romance. One that would only want to share it with her. She couldn't believe how far her wish had gone to become a reality!

"Eir..." he said softly, and he gazed at her with near pitch-black eyes. His face was almost noble in look now. "I need to be with you. As much as I...want to talk to you...and..."

"But, I'm not ready!" she whimpered. There was no place for her to run. Then, much as Agatha and Rhea did, her hair became the instinctive cocoon of spikes. Hypnos blinked at first. He wasn't sure what he was seeing. Now he smiled and nodded with understanding from the information he gleaned from the hive link. Very carefully, he began to softly stroke and caress the closest spike in front of him. When it trembled to remain intact, he sighed.

"Eir," he whispered and gently traced a finger over the length. "I only wish to share my life with you. You made me this way. And you made me need glasses!"

"I didn't...mean that..." she shivered. Then he realized that she was laughing!

"At least someone is happy about it," he grinned. His tone softened even further when he said, "You wouldn't deny a guy with glasses, would you?"

"You don't have them yet..." she replied. He swallowed a chuckle and refocused on coaxing her out of the spiked cocoon. They were clearly meant for each other.

"I promise you, Eir. The moment we get to our new base, I will let you help me hand-pick out any book that you want to read with me. We'll learn to play music. We'll help your father with his research. We'll draw and paint. We'll do so much together. But...I have to be with you first. I can't help it. You know this, too. You call to me, Eir. Please...let me be with you. Let me claim you as my Queen!"

"Hypnos..." she said with a waver in her voice. Finally the spikes dwindled down to her normal hair to reveal her. As much as he wanted his first time with her to be as romantic as possible, it couldn't happen. And, as much as he wanted the bed, the floor was used for now.

"Next time," he growled and quickly pounced on her. "Next time it will be better..."

"Promise?" she whispered.

"I swear," he nodded and kissed her with a hot passion that had clearly built up within a short time. Her clothes managed to survive the ordeal without getting ripped off. At her sharp cry from his mating thrust, he lost all focus. His body coated hers to keep her pinned down. He had no control over it. Like Cronus and Alex, it was all instinctive.

After an hour, he was finally able to separate from her to lift her from the ground and to the bed. He let her press into him, and he rested his hand over her belly with a soft smile. When the door opened, he gave a protective glare before dropping his guard. Several drones had appeared with platters of food for them. Nodding to them in thanks, he let them leave.

"Are there any steaks?" she asked.

"There are quite a few," he smiled. "Ah. I just found out who your breeding stud is. Karl? I think that's his name."

"Oh! He's good," she nodded. "He helped me out quite a bit when I was younger. Like a brother to me. He's trustworthy."

"I'll test him when I have time," Hypnos grunted. When Ragland walked in with some bi-focal wear, he nodded. "It should be all right to test my eyes now. It needs to be done."

"Dad!" Eir grimaced. "I'm not dressed!"

"Alex told me to do this as quickly as I could," Ragland said with a smile. "Just stay under the covers, okay? We need to get glasses for Hypnos."

"Her fault," the young King muttered. Eir blushed, and he kissed her forehead. Ragland chuckled and had the eye testing gear placed on him. After a few short tests, the right prescription was noted, and he left with the equipment. When they were alone again, he said, "It is your fault, you know. You like the guys with glasses."

"I honestly had no idea," she frowned. "Grandmother never had an issue with humans getting her blood. All of them seemed to have improved eyesight, too."

"Most romantic types in your head wore glasses. Now it's a reality. I'll live with it," he smiled. "I could do contacts, though."

"No!" she said quickly. Then she blushed hard at what she said, and he laughed.

"Told you so," he grinned wickedly and poked her side to tickle her lightly. "Anyways, I think we both need a bit of sleep. I'm less than a day old. You're almost a month old. I think we're due. And, I haven't forgotten, here's your steak."

"Good!" she grumbled and tore into it. She was clearly famished now. Only after her hunger was appeased was he able to finally lay back in the bed with her to nap lightly. In Agatha's bedroom, Alex was thinking over everything that he witnessed in the link.  _I was right about Kings. They were all going to be brash in their own ways._

"Zeus?" Agatha frowned.

"Did you notice," he said gently. "that Hypnos was ready to challenge Cronus?"

"Hypnos?" she asked. When her children explained who he was in the link, she gave a small smile. "Ah. He named himself. Okay. And...he did? He wanted to challenge Cronus?"

"Yes. You didn't catch that?"

"There are so many in the link now," she sighed and leaned into him. "I can only listen to so much. It's hard to focus on any particular one."

"That's not good. It's easy for me. I just rely on instinct to do it. As an Empress, you need to overcome this hurdle. I sort of trained myself to ignore the little talk. The moment something important comes up, I focus in. You may have to study my mind a bit at times."

"Me study your mind? Do I want to know what's going on in that head of yours?" she chuckled. At his grin, she laughed. "I'm honestly not sure how to take it."

"Trust me," he smiled. "However, I don't think it would be wise to have two Kings in the same room together. At least unsupervised."

"You may be right," she grimaced.

"They'll instinctively attack to see who is stronger. And I  _refuse_  to play as babysitter," he muttered darkly. "I'll fuck them all up, if I must."

"He did back down when he felt you watching him," she smiled. "I think you already established that babysitter role."

"Fuck that!" he growled to get her laughing. "I'm pretty sure that, before they leave for the United Kingdom base, Robert will need to get you pregnant with breeders. After you give birth, I'll have to head to Germany."

"I don't want them to poison my kids," she frowned.

"It won't happen," he promised. "In the next hour, my drones will be bringing in various poison samples. Antidote samples, too. We still have a few Hunters here that we can test them on. Whatever affects them will affect us. You could say that there was a point that I had something attack me. Ragland helped me get rid of it by injecting a Hunter with the vaccine."

"And then you consumed the Hunter," she nodded. "You told me."

"So, the same thing will be done," he nodded back. "Get the Hunter to build up the antibiotics first. Take those antibiotics in small injection strains to give out when needed. We may need more Hunters just to use for cures for us. It will be a must for our growing army."

"Let's work on that, then. Oh! Any word on that female soldier we acquired? She will need to start breeding Queens soon. If she fights us, we'll have to kill her," Agatha said.

"True. I'll confront her in the next ten minutes. Nick will stay with you while I find out for us. And, Hypnos is not allowed to see you unless I'm here."

"Hmm?"

"He wants to see you soon. To greet you properly. I'll fuck him up if he tries anything."

"Zeus..."

"I'm saying  _if_  he tries anything. If he remains at a respectful distance, then fine. Just don't hug him. Don't touch him. The moment you do, he might think that he has an advantage. Play at being the parental unit at a distance. Please, Hera. Trust me on this."

"Okay," she sighed and nodded. "Can you get me something to eat?"

"I'm right here," he grinned wolfishly. When she blushed, he kissed her and helped her eat the steak that Kim brought in for her. When she was able to rest against him, he closed his eyes and listened in to what he felt was important talk. _Right now, it was studying the base in Germany._ At first, he was fine with the base surviving with humans in it. After learning that they were trying to push their luck by poisoning Commander John, now Osiris, he believed that they all had to die. If there was one thing that he learned, it was that most humans were completely untrustworthy.  _Not all of them. Just most._


	89. Chapter 89

 

 

 

It was another couple hours before Karl would find himself confronted by Hypnos. He was going over what he needed to take with him when a knock was heard on his door. When he opened the door, he stood there in shock at what the new King looked like. He looked nothing like he thought he should be.

Hypnos had a set of high-class half-glasses sitting regally on the bridge of his nose. They looked simple in style, but they were dotted with gold along the sides to enhance the black rims. They were also designed to stay on without the use of ear support. The clothing he wore was much like a Victorian style suit. A slight, white ruffled neckline opened up to reveal his chest slightly. Faded red coloring was the long sleeved undershirt of choice to go over the white base shirt. A black, silk brocaded jacket with a satiny lacework pattern was worn over it, and it connected together with gold buttons. His faded red pants looked tight, but they were loose enough for comfort. Even his matching boots looked sturdy, but stylishly slender to enhance his height. His long hair was held back with a couple leather ties, but a bit loosely for a couple locks to trail over his ears freely.

He definitely looked like a young King in both noble attire and looks. From one of his jacket pockets, he took out a gold pocket watch to check the time. Setting it back, he now regarded the human in front of him. "I understand that you are Karl. That you are destined to be Eir's stud male. I had to meet you for myself."

"And you are...?" Karl asked calmly.  _I didn't expect his voice to be so deep!_

"My name is Hypnos," he said with a smirk. At the slow blink of his near-black, cat-like eyes when he spoke, Karl found himself actually blinking a bit. The King smirked slightly. The gold along the rims of his glasses were part of that secret effect to mildly dazzle the other. It suited him well to own up to his name. It was a small invention on his part to show off his intellect. Eir was completely thrilled with the effect.

"Oh. Well, um...nice to meet you. I'll be joining you and Eir to the new base," Karl said. He had to keep his wits about him.

"I'm sure of it," Hypnos muttered. "Like all the others, you only get one chance with me. You fuck up, I'll kill you. I won't even have to think about it."

"Like everyone else that's told me. I'm aware of it," Karl said mildly. Now Hypnos rose a brow. Then he cracked a grin and nodded with approval.

"Sorry. I had to do a small test to see how much you could prove your worth," Hypnos chuckled. "You actually stood up to me! I'm impressed. I'm not sure I could put up the whole bad-ass theme for a long time, though. It's not my nature. Of course, I'll kill whoever I must. Due to the nature that Eir forced me to gain, I'm not really much of a violent type. I'll go diplomacy first. If it fails, I'll just end up killing the one I'm negotiating with."

"You should learn how to use a rapier," Karl said. "It would make you more like a pirate type. But, rumor has it that she likes intelligent guys."

"And you fit the bill, too?"

"I'm still alive."

"Point made! As for the pirate look...well...no. I'll go with the Gothic-Victorian era. It suits my tastes more. Yes, I appear of Japanese descent, but I prefer a different style."

"We have enough of that here with the whole anime style crap. You'll know by meeting Hermes. Go with what you want," Karl agreed.

"I intend to have a library built on the new station. Even some sort of an art studio of some kind. If you have any ideas, I'd be happy to hear of them," Hypnos said when they walked back to where Eir was resting.

"And I'm telling you to take up fencing," Karl said again. His jaw dropped at the massive sword that Hypnos had his right arm become. At a bit of focus, the blade became far more slender in form and a bit lighter. It now resembled a fencing sword.

"I have my sword. You'd better get one, too," Hypnos grinned a touch wickedly. This was where his ruthlessness showed. When he showed off his viral being, the mood came out. Because of this, he could easily have a split personality. Hypnos suddenly swerved and rose up his arm to expertly block an attack from Apollo's sword.

"Hello, brother," Apollo grinned. "Our Emperor wanted me to test your reflexes."

"Did he?" Hypnos smirked when the other backed down.

"He did," Dionysus said when he walked over. "As it is, Apollo and I have something we want to ask you. We've been keeping it from the link by talking verbally."

"Oh? You think I can help?" Hypnos asked.

"We do," Hermes said when he walked over. "Karl, as much as you will be talked to, this needs to be a private conversation for now."

"Gotcha. I'll check on Eir," Karl nodded. When he left, the others remaining looked at each other. Hypnos was very curious as to what they had in mind, and he followed them into a small room. It was set up for a light lunch.

"Since you obviously have a lot of intellect," Dionysus started. "we hope you may be able to help us figure out a problem."

"I'll do what I can," Hypnos nodded and sat down in a chair provided for him. Hermes was tucking into a sandwich from the tray.

"Our Emperor can hear our thoughts now, thanks to the twins," Apollo said casually to keep his thoughts calm. "He hates it when we think of our Mother."

"The only problem," Dionysus sighed. "is that when he's away, Mother starts to listen to us talk. It helps her cope. Even when that drone of hers fucks her silly, she still finds herself wanting to talk to us! I'm not sure what we can do."

"So, she needs to be kept entertained," Hypnos mused with his deep voice. "Does she read books of any kind? Maybe?"

"No. She has them, but she's not much of a reader," Hermes said. "She prefers a form of mental skill puzzles and stuff."

"You just said your answer," Hypnos grinned. "Puzzles. Get her a shitload of puzzles."

"Puzzles?" Apollo blinked. Then his jaw dropped.  _It was brilliant!_

"We'll have to get a lot of different ones," Dionysus said. "I know that they make dual sided puzzles, too. We need to get her a table to do them on. I don't know if we should invest in the giant ones. Maybe small ones with tiny pieces."

"If her mind is focused off the link and working on puzzles and mental games..." Apollo said with a smile. "This will definitely work. We will have to let our Emperor know."

"I do know," Alex said when he trudged in. "My drones hear everything."

"Right..." Hermes chuckled. When several scout drones revealed themselves and left, Alex sat down to talk to them. He was definitely impressed with this new King. When he glanced at Hypnos, the King paused in instinctive submission. But the look was approving.

"You have a much better head on your shoulders than Cronus," Alex grunted. "Keep it that way. I don't want to lop it off."

"Ah...yes, my Emperor," Hypnos nodded.

"Do we have any puzzles on the base right now?" Alex asked.

"Just ones for the kids. Puzzles are easy to get, though. We could even make our own," Apollo said. "It's easy enough to do."

"I'd go with some basic puzzles first to experiment with. Just to see what her mental stress level can get up to. If the puzzle is too hard, she may lose interest. If it's too easy, then she needs a bit more challenge. Does she like jewelry? If she does, we could even get puzzle rings. Even complex puzzle boxes that she can open for small treasures in them," Hypnos thought aloud. "I can invent a few things for her once I know what she likes."

"Do it," Alex nodded. "If it keeps her happy, I'm all for it."

"I will," he nodded back. "Um...can I see her?"

"As long as I'm present," Alex said with a mild glare of warning. "and don't even think of trying to get close to her for even a simple hug."

"I won't," he said with a small nod. Hermes finished off his sandwich and excused himself to get back to Dana. Apollo and Dionysus were quick to take his example. Now that Alex and the new King were alone in the room, an awkwardness hit Hypnos. He felt oddly unprotected for some reason.

"I'm going to give you the same fucking warning as Cronus," Alex said with a seething hiss in his tone. Now Hypnos realized why the others had left. "You touch Hera once, I will kill you. You try to touch her, I will kill you. Keep to Eir, and you will be safe. Keep your distance, and you will be safe. We had Eir wait on bonding with you until I was able to be here to monitor what your personality is like. So far, it holds merit. I appreciate it. Don't get on my bad side."

"I understand your warning, my Emperor," he said solemnly. "Eir is the only one that I wish to touch at any time."

"So you say this now. I will watch your reaction when you finally see your mother. Let's go. Before I forget how much I like you right now," Alex said stiffly and stood up with a sense of grace that Hypnos could never attempt to achieve. He was completely outclassed by his Emperor. It was a humbling experience to him.

When they walked through the halls towards Agatha's room, Hypnos found himself lost in thought. As his thoughts went to Cronus, the instinctive want to challenge him emerged. And it was in this moment of weakness that he found Alex's face right in front of his. All thoughts of challenge were quickly purged from his mind at the look of complete warning.

"I am sorry, my Emperor," Hypnos whispered.

"I will not let you have such a mood when visiting Hera," Alex growled. "Shut those thoughts out! If it wasn't for my vow to leave you untouched until you tried to touch her, I would have skewered you in fucking half! Clear your fucking mind! Now!"

"Done, my Emperor," he said with a swallow. He now saw how lethal Alex truly was. He also saw how much honor he had.  _My Emperor was with-holding his attack to keep a promise._

"You are a King. Fucking act like one!" Alex snarled. "I gave this same fucking conversation to Eir! She had to grow the fuck up! Do the same thing!"

"Of course, my Emperor," Hypnos said with a stern nod. At that, Alex nodded back. He didn't want Alex to lose what little faith he had in him. When they finally got to the meat locker, Aden gave a mild glare of warning at Hypnos. When the King saw Robin, the drone gave a snort of warning, too. Only at Alex's nod did the massive drone move.

"My Liege?" Nick asked from where it was in the bed.

"Just watch him," Alex muttered under his breath. The drone nodded and moved to let Alex take its spot in the bed. Agatha got pulled to him, and he rested a hand on her growing belly. She was close to giving birth. When she looked over at Hypnos, she gave a soft smile.

"Hello, Hypnos. It is good to meet you. Treat Eir with respect. And, most importantly, don't piss anyone off," she said gently. Hypnos could only stare at the regal beauty in the bed.  _This was why she was Empress._ "And, please, curb your thoughts on challenging others. It doesn't become you. It also upsets me."

"I will watch what I do in the future," he promised. She blinked at his deep tone. "I may not have control all the time, but I will do what I can the moment I come back to myself."

"That is all that I can ask of you," she nodded. She looked over at the door and beamed. "Robert! What brings you here?"

"I have a gift for you," Robert grinned. "I always had one of these in my office when I was in the military. I could never figure it out. Think you can? The goal is to get all of the sides to be one color. Here."

"Oh?" Agatha blinked at the Rubik's Cube given to her. Alex cracked a grin and watched her start to figure out the puzzle. Now that she was neatly entertained, Alex and Robert gave each other the usual flip off before the man left the room. Hypnos was amazed at how fast Agatha was solving the cube.  _She would need some rather challenging puzzles._

Alex did a double-take that the cube was now solved and set aside. At her small grin, Alex reached over for the cube and messed up the colors again to give back to her. At her look of surprise, he said, "What? That's what the cube is meant for, anyways."

"It is?!" she blinked.

"Mother," Hypnos said with a touch of amusement. "I would like to invent some puzzles for you. They clearly make you happy. Would you let me?"

"I would be delighted!" she smiled.

"He should have been named Hephaestus," Nick grinned. Alex cracked another grin and chuckled. Hypnos could only agree. As he thought about what puzzles he could make, he blinked at another thought that hit him.

"I need to go. Eir needs me," he said and rose up.

"That's fine. Do what you can for her. Also, you might want to let Karl be with her to get her first breeders done," Alex said bluntly. "Best to get it out of the way."

"Right," Hypnos grumbled. It was already a fact that no King liked to let their mate be with another. _It had to be done, though._

"So, you like the puzzles?" Alex grinned at her.

"I do! I wouldn't mind more," she smiled back.

"What would you think of picture puzzles? Ones that you can do while sitting up in the bed? Would you like that?" he asked.

"I could do that! I think I would really like that. Oh, what happened with that female soldier? Did you find out?" she asked.

"I did. She will bond with an egg with your next batch. It's why the Commander will need to be with you. Then, after you give birth, I'll have to see what else needs to be done."

"All right. We'll see what happens," she nodded. She handed him the solved cube to get it messed up again. Now that she was finally preoccupied the way she needed to be, Alex was able to set his next goal into motion.  _The destruction of the Germany base._


	90. Chapter 90

The package of various puzzles were quick to show up an hour later. There was so much drone trafficking now to keep up with the demand of supplies that it was easy to get them rather quickly. They decided to go with one giant puzzle that she could do when Alex was away on his small missions. She wouldn't be pregnant and could easily stand to do it in a specialized felt frame. When she was free of her eggs, Robert was called for.

"Hello, pencil dick!" the Commander grinned.

"Up yours, fuck face," Alex smirked. "She's ready for you. The moment you guys are done fucking, we need to tear out a wall to expand the room. The freezer will also be expanded. As to why, it's to give her more space for recreation. With all the shit that Hypnos has planned for her to amuse herself with, she'll need the room. The freezer needs to be expanded for more food space. We need to get more meat down here."

"I wouldn't knock out a wall just yet. This base is like a honeycomb. You'll make an extra door for others to get into," Robert said. "If you have to expand her room, seal off a door completely with reinforced steel first. Then tear down the wall."

"Makes sense," Alex mused. "Then we can leave the freezer alone. We could convert another room into a freezer rather easily. I'm pretty sure that it was just a spare storeroom that was alongside her room, too. Yeah, it is. The drones confirmed it. Only some old trash in it. The drones will clean it out now and prepare the room for demolishing."

"I was also thinking of something else," Robert said seriously. "Several of the specialized breeding females are pregnant with Queens. They are very close together. I don't know what would happen if other Kings scented new Queens on hatching."

"Fuck..." Alex grimaced.

"So, I would suggest to set up rooms now with inner ventilation systems for a slight period of time. Mainly to keep scents trapped in, and to help keep them from getting out. At least until the Queens are properly claimed and under control. Also, I would  _highly_  suggest that these new Kings never meet each other," he said further.

"You're right," Alex frowned in thought.  _Hypnos was ready to challenge Cronus to show who was better. It was instinctive, even through the hive link. Who knows what would happen if several Kings met face to face?_

"Agatha may have to meet with them separately. Or, you call for them carefully and have their paths blocked with drones. It may be safer to do that. Have them locked up in the rooms until they have to leave in a timely manner. I'm only saying this because Asuna, Meret, Shinatobe, and Benzaiten are within just a few days apart of each other. Shinatobe and Benzaiten became pregnant the same day. Also, you need to consider this. Ran and Frigg."

"Shit!" Alex groaned. "They have two more days until they want their Kings!"

"Exactly. Furthermore, Hariti may become pregnant again at any moment. We need to get these rooms done now. Before you leave. And you may want to talk to Ran and Frigg, too."

"Why?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Because they are asking me questions that I don't have the answers to," Robert muttered. "Like Eir, they are anxious about their Kings, too."

"Fine. Go fuck Agatha. I'll talk to them now," Alex nodded. Robert nodded and new plans for room construction in various corners of the base were being planned. Alex was very glad at how extensive this base was. The drones were able to add on rooms, too, if it was needed. He felt it would be needed. _It should be easy to keep new King and Queen couples apart. But for how long? That was the question._

Another room was set up for his meeting with the young Queens. The moment the news traveled in the hive link that he wanted to talk to Frigg and Ran, they got nervous.

"He won't hurt you," Sakuma smiled at his daughter. "He just wants to talk to you."

"But...I've done nothing wrong!" she whimpered softly.

"You have been asking us about your King," Amaterasu said gently. That made Ran's jaw drop. "That is why he wishes to speak with you. We cannot go with you. Be brave."

"We'll have something to eat when you get back," Sakuma said calmly. Ran sighed with defeat and gave a small nod. She was rather stunning to gaze at now. Her black hair was coiffed up in jeweled pins of gold, and her white kimono was snug against her growing voluptuous figure. When drones appeared to escort her, she nodded to them to show she was ready.

As Ran went to her destined meeting, Frigg was too scared to even think of trying to go. Amunet and Steve were trying hard to convince her that it was best to not irk Alex in making him wait. When the drones finally showed up to escort her, she refused them.

"Frigg!" Amunet scolded.

"No! He can't make me go!" her daughter said defiantly.

"Honey, we talked about this," Steve warned. "You wouldn't shut your mouth about meeting a King. Now you need to talk to him about it."

"I won't go!" Frigg scowled. She tossed her long, blond hair at them when she turned to storm into her room, and she slammed the door shut. She was pouting hard. She always got this way when things didn't go the way she wanted them to. Her pastel blue eyes stared back at her in the mirror on her wall. Even the pretty, frilly dress she wore of light pink and white softened her curvy features. Despite all of that, her face showed her anger at the situation. She wanted to scream and shout her frustration. The last thing that she was expecting was her door to suddenly get kicked open. When she turned to scream at the intruder, she stood there in complete terror at Alex's form. She was not expecting her Emperor to fetch her himself.

"You. Follow. Me. Now," Alex ordered in a slow, grinding way to show that he was clearly pissed off. He was keeping his anger in check. Frigg was too petrified to move. She had never seen her Emperor so angry and upset at her. When he gestured for her to follow, she clenched her fists as though ready to scream in defiance. Like a child, she was going to test her limits with him. That made him snap and shout at her. "Stop being a whiny bitch! You're a Queen! Fucking act like one! I'm not going to sit on my ass and wait for your childish temper tantrums to stop! Own up to your mistakes! Ran knew she did wrong, and now she's forced to wait, because you won't grow the fuck up! Let's go! Now!"

"But..." she whimpered. Now she was scared at the fact that she upset him further.

"But what? Why keep wasting my time?!" he scowled. "For what reason do I deserve this from you? I was going to keep my cool and explain when you could finally meet your King. Both to you and Ran. Instead, you decide to act like a three-year-old with a diaper full of shit! You're fifteen days old. That's fifteen in human years. You're a teenager now. It's time to start growing up. It's time to start knowing your place in the society that we live in. You don't like it? Tough shit! Now let's go. I have too much shit to deal with! Telling you what to do shouldn't be one of them! You need to move your ass. Now."

"Yes, my Emperor," she whispered in a trembling voice. The instinct to obey him finally kicked in. She couldn't disobey him any further. She could still feel his scalding glare on her when she left the room to follow the drones.

"You scared her," Amunet frowned.

"She pissed me the fuck off," Alex muttered.

"Well, maybe she'll start listening to us," Steve smirked. At his wife's glare, he rose up his hands. "You were having a hard time with her, too!"

"I know. She's as stubborn as I can be," she sighed.

"Well that needs to change," Alex growled out and left the room. When he got to the room the Queens were in, he heard harsh sobbing. Ran was holding Frigg to try and comfort her.

"If you only listened and went with the drones..." Ran sighed.

"I just...I'm too scared..." Frigg whispered among her tears. "And then he yelled at me! I mean...I can't...I don't think I'm..."

"Don't think you're what?" Alex said when he walked in. Frigg paled at him. "Oh, stop it! I'm not going to kill you! You acted like a child. I treated you like one. Reap what you sow. Learn from it and get stronger! Don't pull that shit again, and we'll be fine. You were going to scream at me. Me! Of all the fucking people in the world to vent your anger on! You were in the wrong. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here!"

"I'm sorry...my Emperor..." Frigg sniffled. Ran gave a worried look, but there was no fear in her eyes. She gained the ability to show no fear for anything from her father's side.

"You have no reason to fear me. The only time you should fear me is if you betray me. If you have no plans to do that, then I have no quarrels with you," he said bluntly. "But, at the same time, I won't put up with your childish demeanor. Stop it. Now."

"Yes..." Frigg swallowed and calmed down more.

"We were curious about meeting our Kings. We didn't know that such a discussion would upset you. Eir spoke of it all the time. We thought no different," Ran said.

"I can understand that," Alex agreed. "I had to tell her to grow up, too."

"You did?" Frigg frowned.

"Yes. But, she didn't have the temper fits," Alex smirked. Frigg trembled and blinked when he walked up to her to look into her eyes. "As your Emperor, you know that I won't hurt you. So, I'm going to ask you a very important question. Why do you throw needless fits and piss of everyone that tries to help you?"

"I just...don't like situations that I can't control..." she said softly.

"There will  _always_  be a situation that you can't control. Get used to it. Make the best of it. If you can't do that, then you don't deserve to be a Queen," Alex said a touch darkly. "Right now, we have rooms being constructed for you both. The rooms are being specially designed for you to be with your Kings in the next two days. These rooms are going to be on opposite sides of the base. You can't let your Kings meet each other. They may want to fight."

"I have heard the challenges when I heard Cronus and Hypnos in the link. Well, they didn't outright challenge each other, but I sensed the mistrust. I don't think I would like to watch my King fight another," Ran winced.

"If they did, I'd have to kill them," Alex grunted. Both Queens looked at him with shock. "Your grandmother would tell me to do it. I will not have rogue Kings anywhere near me or her. I would be protecting us."

"I understand," Ran said softly. Frigg could only nod with agreement. "Um, so, in two days, we get to meet our Kings?"

"It's quite possible. However, I still have three parts of your grandmother to secure. I have bases in Egypt, Germany, and England. I plan to go after Germany very soon. I plan to be back before you both are ready to meet your Kings. If I am not back in time,  _you will wait_  until I get back to meet them. I don't care how pissed off you both get. If I'm not here to watch your Kings until they leave with you to other bases, they may fight each other and go after your grandmother. I'm sure you don't want that."

"No..." Frigg said with a swallow. She had no idea of this!

"I would not want my King to go after another," Ran muttered.

"And I will ensure that they don't. So, you have to wait for me to be here. Do we have an understanding about this?" he asked carefully.

"Yes," Frigg said with a sharp nod. "And I'm sorry for acting like...um..."

"A brat?" he grinned and put his hands on his hips.

"Yeah," she said with a soft smile. "I was just so afraid of what you'd say..."

"Well, you never gave me a chance to talk to you like I should have. Instead, you had me hunt you down and chew your ass out," he sighed with a shake of his head. "Don't do that anymore. There is no need for it. And you had  _better_  start listening to your parents, too!"

"Frigg?!" Ran asked with her jaw dropped in shock. "Were you really disobeying them?! You were lying to me?"

"I was just frustrated at being told what I could and couldn't do!" Frigg said sharply.

"They tell you that, because they protect you and love you!" Ran said evenly. When Frigg started to show some stubbornness, Alex cleared his throat to remind her that he was still there. She sighed hard and gave a nod.

"Remember, Frigg," Alex warned. "You are a Queen. You are supposed to be respected. Cared for. Protected. I will ensure that all of this happens for you. But, I will never protect a lazy, spoiled rotten child that thinks that everything needs to be given to them freely on a silver platter. I will not respect one that belittles their protectors. And I will  _definitely not_  care about one that only thinks of themselves and acts selfish! I killed humans like that every fucking day. Every time I go out, there isn't a time that I haven't killed someone like that! Don't turn into one of them. This is your only warning about that."

"I understand," Frigg said with a frown.

"I worked hard to get to this point. Your grandmother was sentenced to death if she killed me. To be constantly raped and then killed off when they were done. I saved her life. And, in many ways, she saved mine. We are equals to each other. When you get your King, you will understand the hardships that you will have to go through. Work for your respect. I will show you that you have earned it. Right now, you're on the low end of my totem pole. You have to prove yourself to me. Show me that you can fulfill your duty. That you can work and earn your keep. Even if it's just making drones and breeders. That's all you need to do," Alex said and thought. "And, on that note, did you decide what stud males you were going to take with you to the bases provided?"

"I was thinking of the one called Frankie," Ran said with a soft blush.

"What? He told me just the other day that he would be honored to be with me!" Frigg said with a small sniff. "He said I looked cute."

"He did? Oh," Ran blinked. She didn't know that. She didn't really care about Frankie, so she had no issues with him being with Frigg. She simply had no idea that he desired Frigg more than her. It actually stung a little, but she would get over it.

"Talk to the one called Fumio. He should be able to help," Alex suggested. "Have your parents with you, though. We have quite a few now that would be willing to go with you."

"Yes, my Emperor," she nodded.

"Okay. I have to get back to Agatha. You two go back to your rooms. And, Frigg! Remember. You are a Queen. Start acting like one," Alex warned again. "I won't remind you again. There should be no need to do that."

"Yes, my Emperor," she nodded. She wanted his respect again. She would do whatever she could to earn it back. He nodded to them and gestured for them to follow the drones. After this, he knew that he was going to have to give a reality check to every Queen that was born.  _At some point in their brief lives with me, I have to show them some form of discipline. It was best to get them when they were younger. It would be easier on the parents to work with them. Talking to Rhea when I did was proof enough for that. As an Emperor, it was now my responsibility. It was another job for me to do._

"I'll have to talk to Sif tomorrow. She's almost six now. Hmm. Oh. Hariti's pregnant now. Wonderful. Okay, Hera, I'm coming back," he sighed to himself.  _An Emperor's job was never done. This only proved it._  He was sarcastically overjoyed.


	91. Chapter 91

He was resting with Agatha and helping her put together a jigsaw puzzle when a small alert hit him. The drugs from Germany with their antidotes had finally arrived. He wasn't ready to move just yet, so he gave the command to start working with them. Hedeyasu and Ragland were both quick to start working with them to judge their potency. Hermanubis and Sigyn were able to return to the island to send back some fresh Hunters. Once the drugs were tested and the results were complete, Ragland went over the scans.

"It looks like they were designed to knock out humans for now," Hedeyasu grimaced.

"It does appear to be that way, doesn't it?" Ragland frowned. "They didn't do anything to the Hunters. Osiris should be safe enough. These are just the beginning stages, too. He could pretend that they worked. Go along with it to a point. We should make a strong antidote for him, anyways. Just in case."

"Add some proteins to it and make it look like a strength enhancer instead?" Hedeyasu asked with a chuckle. That had Ragland grinning a touch wickedly, and they got to work. After a few minutes, Hedeyasu sighed and said, "I do wish my laboratory was still in function. There was much there that could have been used. Oh! We still have the main computer information, don't we?! If we do, I would like to look into it to see what I can do for us here."

"You had better run that by Alex first," Ragland said wisely. "I've got it from here."

"Very well," he nodded and moved to where Agatha and Alex were resting. On confronting Aden, he said, "I need to ask Alex something. It involves some technology that he brought back here from my laboratory before its destruction. May I speak with him?"

"No need," Nick said when it walked out of the meat locker to talk to him. "My Liege says that it's fine. However, I need to go with you for him. My Empress needs him close. So, I will be his eyes. I will show you where it is stored."

"Very well. Please lead the way," Hedeyasu nodded. Nick gestured to be followed and led him to a room that was near the lab. In here, the drone opened a vault and pulled out the laptop. Setting it up to start running, Hedeyasu was quick to start typing in his codes to get the information he needed. At various files appearing, Nick kept a close watch on what was pulled up. Hedeyasu was just about to delete a certain file, but he was stopped.

"What is that?" Nick asked and pointed to the file.

"Oh. I was hoping you'd miss that," Hedeyasu frowned.

"What is it?" Nick asked with a hint of wariness.

"It was a new genetic hybrid strain that was being worked on. No, it's not available now. This was only the documentation files on it for the progress being done," he said.

"You are speaking the truth. Fine. Don't delete it, though. It does look like it could be used on Hunters," Nick mused. That had Hedeyasu blinking at the idea. "Compacting them and letting them explode out of the compacting area. It would be good to send into dense populations that show resistance. Crowd control, if you think about it."

"For terrorist groups?"

"Possibly. Send in a gift-wrapped Hunter. Problem's solved. We kill off what's left. My Liege is curious to see if we can control Hunters. But, that could be a problem. They are a completely different strain of virus. Things could get out of control."

"I could enhance a drone to become something like a Hunter," Hedeyasu said aloud.

"That...hmm..." Nick pondered the idea to Alex. "He says to try it. May be best on ones like Robin. The larger drones can handle more."

"That they can. I shall discuss this with Doctor Ragland," he nodded.

"Good," Nick nodded. "As for the drugs from Germany, what do you think?"

"Osiris should pull through with anything they throw at him. We may even give him a protein capsule to make it appear to give him added strength," he grinned.

"Do it," Nick chuckled. "I would do the same for Isis."

"Of course," Hedeyasu nodded. "There is something that I want to show you to relay to Alex. It involved the clones that were made at my old base."

"Oh?" Nick frowned and looked over some notes that were brought up. The drone stepped aside when Alex stormed into the room.

"You. Agatha. Now," Alex growled. The drone bowed and left quickly. "And you. What the fuck is this?!"

"It's exactly as you see it," Hedeyasu sighed.

"Fuck! You mean to tell me that my drones might have to search a wreckage for a lockbox that might contain advanced cellular versions of Agatha?! Where were they located?" Alex asked, and the hive mind was already sending out drones to explore the underwater wreckage in Japan. They were going to be extremely thorough.

"They were in my personal office," Hedeyasu sighed again. "Next to the command center. The cells were in a very special casing to give them about three months of liquid nitrogen freezing if something went wrong. Water-tight, bullet-proof..."

"We may have time to rescue them," Alex snorted. Then he swore again at the dilemma.

"I could take some of the cells you have here and enhance them," Hedeyasu said.

"No," Alex said bluntly. "She's fine the way she is. Don't fuck with what doesn't need to be fucked with. If we find her cells, I'll go over them. Alone. I don't want you tampering with her anymore. If I have questions about them, Nick will talk to you. Fuck! I already have so much shit that I have to do now..."

"Should the cells be found, they will be locked away for you," Hedeyasu said lightly. "None shall touch them, save for your drones."

"Fine," Alex grumbled. He watched Hedeyasu continue to go over various files until another drone was able to watch for him. He needed to talk to Agatha about what he just learned. He was careful to keep it from the link.

"Alex?" Agatha asked softly from the foul look on his face.

"Nick. Beat it," he growled. The drone nodded and left to watch Hedeyasu. He moved to Agatha's side to sit on the bed and pull her close to crush her against him.

"What is it, Zeus?" she asked now with concern.

"Hedeyasu had made advanced cells of you. He didn't tell us," he growled.

"What?!" she gaped.

"They might be safe from the destruction of his base. They were in a very special case filled with liquid nitrogen. If we find them, I will inspect them. He won't."

"I'd say to kill him, but he's safe from Asuna," she said bitterly.

"Have Asuna be the one to give him an earful of bitching," he muttered and kissed her hard. "I need you to help me calm down."

"Why?" she mumbled against his mouth next.

"Because I'm going to have to talk to Sif before I leave. You're still developing breeders. I want to talk to her to ensure that she won't get any nasty habits."

"Then let me calm you down," she whispered and kissed him passionately. He was able to have a drone appear to move the puzzle she was working on off to a side table to keep from destroying it. The last thing he wanted to do was make her as irritable as he was.


	92. Chapter 92

Hermes was playing with Sif when Alex showed up an hour later at the door. Dana was taking a nap, so he had the room to their bedroom shut to keep the noise level down. When Alex appeared at the door, Hermes answered with his daughter in his arms.

"My Emperor," Hermes nodded.

"Hi," Alex nodded and walked in. Sif found herself staring at Alex with fascination. She knew that this man was powerful.  _That he was important._ When Alex looked at her, she gave a small whimper. "It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk to you."

"Kay," she said softly. She was very shy to a point. It gave her a cute personality.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked slowly.

"Um...a little..." she said.

"She's a bit shy," Hermes chuckled.

"That's fine. Sif, I want to let you know. If there is a problem, I will find out what it is. I will not make it a nice ending. As long as you listen to what your mom and dad say, you'll be fine. If you don't, then you will listen to me. You don't want to listen to me."

"I know..." she trembled. She heard what was going on in the link with Ran and Frigg. She knew all too well of the consequences.

"Good. This makes it easier. Just do what you're told. Okay? Everyone will be happier. I'll be happy. Your dad will be happy. And your mom will be happy, too," Alex said with a small smile. He was showing the 'nicer' side of himself, but only because Sif was very young.  _She also knew what to expect if she misbehaved._  He was showing her that he was pleased with her. At the small, fond pet to the top of her head, she giggled and smiled shyly.

Hermes kissed her cheek and chuckled. He was very proud of her. Alex nodded and let them be. On walking back to Agatha's room, he paused.  _Did someone call for me?_

"Father!" Loki said when he walked over. "Can I get a word with you?"

"Of course," Alex nodded and turned.

"You're not going to believe this," Loki sighed. "Um...I actually got Asteria pregnant."

"What?!" Alex blinked. "I thought the two of you were sterile!"

"We thought so, too," he winced. "I took her to see Ragland. You might want to see this. It's...really bizarre."

"You bet your ass I want to see it!" Alex scowled and sped off with his son to the lab. Asteria was resting on an exam table for the ultra sound machine results. Apollo and Dionysus were there to see what was going on. Agatha was helped over with Robin and Nick. On the screen was a picture of two fetuses.

"Twins?" Agatha said with surprise.

"Yes. And," Ragland said with his own bit of a grimace. "it's a breeding pair. It looks like a King and Queen."

"What...the...fuck...?!" Alex said with a twitch in his eye.

"It appears to be exceptionally rare, though," Ragland said quickly. "And they are developing twice as slow as a normal Queen would. So, if you think about it, your twins can create their own breeding twins. But, only one pair at a time at a slower pace."

"You are still needed, my Empress," Nick whispered to Agatha. "Think about it. You make Kings much faster than they can. Without you, our army would be crawling."

"True," she nodded. Alex realized why the drone said that.

"We should abort them," Alex snorted.

"But..." Loki frowned. Asteria was able to sit up and let Loki hug her.

"Alex," Agatha smiled. "we will see what happens. Okay?"

"Well..." Alex sighed. "it didn't happen right away. And it's slower. They could be stronger. Fine. The moment they are able to breed, they get sent off. No exceptions."

"Yes, Father," Loki nodded.

"Agreed, my Emperor," Apollo nodded. Dionysus also agreed to this with the rest of the hive mind. Alex clearly looked disgruntled. Agatha sighed and gestured for him to help her back to their room. She was about to go into the fast phase of the pregnancy. Once he set her in the bed, he showed how pissed off he was.

"Don't worry," she soothed, and he held her tight. "I'm sure that everything will be fine. We have enough drones here to choke out a whole continent."

"I know, Hera," he sighed. "It's just one fucking thing after another!"

"You are the 'all mighty Emperor'," she mocked. He glared at her beaming smile.

"I'd give you the job, but you have a pussy."

"Well..."

"Shut up," he warned. She giggled and kissed him. "After you give birth, I'll have to go to Germany. I have to shut them up. Osiris thinks the base can still be saved. However, if they try to poison him, it gets shut down."

"Agreed," she nodded. He settled in the bed with her and watched her get served a slice of bison meat. She loved the texture right away. At the side of kangaroo tail, she was surprised at how tough it was. He liked watching her try new things. When she finished eating, she snuggled into him. She noticed that he was still tense. "I want to try something with you."

"Hmm?" he smiled.

"Take your clothes off," she smiled back. "Osiris read a book for me."

"A sex book?" he muttered.

"No. Take off your clothes," she said again. Sighing hard, he let his clothes slide off him. At the feel of her hands working over his skin in a massage, he found himself liking it. Immensely. He actually started to fully relax and move onto his chest for her to get to his back. "I guess you're enjoying this quite a bit?"

"Don't fucking stop," he mumbled.

"If it gets you to shut the fuck up, I'll never stop," she teased.

"Bitch," he growled.

"Better fucking believe it!" she smirked. Now that he was relaxing, he found it easier to hear the link without all the stress dragging him down. And it was here that he heard the alarm from one of his drones at the Australian base. Narrowing his eyes, he sat up with a hiss.

"Fucking Cronus!" he scowled.

"Zeus?!" she asked.

"Cronus is an asshole!" he seethed. "My drone out there just managed to contact me. He's getting it in his fucking head to confront Hypnos when he leaves for the United Kingdom base. He thinks that he's not allowed here, but he can go to other places to fuck with the Kings. He may be the first King born, but that doesn't fucking matter!"

"And Rhea is at her wits end to console him," Agatha frowned at her granddaughter's thoughts in the hive link. "Even Carlos helps threaten, and it does nothing."

"There's one thing I can do," Alex said darkly. "One thing that I know will work to shut him up and finally bring him to heel."

"What would that be?" she asked.

"Remember what I tested with Robin and the link?"

"You mean...oh, no..."

"It's come to this. I have to do it. I won't kill him, but he will  _know_  that I'm pissed and letting him know it. Will you let me do this?" Alex asked her.

"Five seconds," she said.

"Granted," he nodded. Then he focused on the link to speak through it.  _:You all know who this is. Cronus is going to be made as an example. If ANYONE goes against my orders, this is what will happen! Observe now!:_

Then, in the blink of an eye, Cronus suddenly vanished from the link. Alex counted five seconds and let him back on. The sheer amount of pain that the young King went through echoed throughout the link. The hive mind was horrified at the power that Alex held over them.

_:I am sorry, my children. It had to be done.:_  Agatha whispered sadly.

_:I am reminding every fucking one of you! I don't have to be in front of you to kill you! Cronus, get your fucking head out of your ass and stay with Rhea! I will NOT allow you to challenge another! I will NOT allow you to see another! Start behaving now!:_  Alex shouted through the hive link. His anger knew no boundaries.

_:Yes...my Emperor...:_  Was Cronus's weak response. Then Alex tore his attention from it and grumbled. Agatha moved to press herself against him. He turned and kissed her hard.

"Osiris...will let you know...of the plans in Germany..." she whispered when his mouth moved over her neck. "He'll get everything ready..."

"Good..." he growled and claimed her with everything he had. He sorely needed her to help him relieve the new stress that claimed his mind yet again. Only after he finally managed to calm down did she start to wince. "Hera?"

"I need that Chinese woman here to bond with an egg!" she grimaced. Alex had a drone quickly get the woman requested. When she walked in, he gestured for her. She was actually quite elegant now. After being cleaned up and healed, she showed she had a very petite figure.

"You need to bond with an egg. As agreed," Alex said.

"Here..." Agatha pointed to a spot on top of her belly.

"Put your hands there and push back," Alex ordered. "And you never told me your name. What is it?"

"My name?" the woman frowned. "It is Huiling. And...my hands go here?"

"Yes," Agatha nodded. Huiling had never seen her before. Agatha's beauty caught her off guard, but she put her hands on the spot that was shown. Agatha winced at the hard pressure done. Alex moved to let her rest on him after the link was cemented. "Thank you. You will see the egg destined for you when I give birth to it. You may go now."

"Oh. Okay," Huiling nodded and left quickly. Alex didn't like how the woman saw Agatha. It made him wonder about a few things. In time, he would get his answers.

"Any news on that friend of Toshimichi's?" Alex asked.

"Not yet. Likely not until you get back. I'm exhausted now," she yawned.

"All right," he nodded and lay back for her to recline on him. The moment she fell asleep, he monitored the link to ensure that everyone was behaving. He smirked.  _No one wanted to piss me off anymore._ He liked that a lot.


	93. Chapter 93

When Agatha was ready to give birth at last, Huiling was permitted to see the egg that was destined for her. She was incredibly speechless at the male figure that slept within it. She was actually a touch more into women, but the male in the egg made her change her mind in full. At the sight of the lithe, muscular form growing, a sense of excitement hit her. She couldn't wait to see what he would look like when he hatched.

"So, she was into women?" Dionysus blinked.

"Mildly," Hermes nodded. They were sitting in the mess hall to talk.

"Yasunori was heavily into men, so he wouldn't have been a candidate. But, if they are on the fence about things," Dionysus mused.

"It's possible," Hermes shrugged. "There would be a chance for them to join us."

"We should see what would happen if one like Yasunori gained an egg."

"It would be a waste," Hermes snorted. "To me, it would be."

"Perhaps. We'll have to see. Toshimichi? Hey!" Dionysus grinned and waved.

"Hello," he smiled and sat down. "Benzaiten told me the two of you were talking about my younger brother. His interests. I doubt he would have been useful."

"Told you," Hermes smirked.

"Fuck off," Dionysus muttered. "Well, Huiling was on the fence about women."

"Was she? Interesting," Toshimichi thought.

"But, the male she made has had her reconsider," Hermes nodded.

"Ah. Now I see why you thought that Yasunori could have been given a chance. It's not impossible for one to change their sexual opinions. It's very rare, but not impossible. As for him, no. Ever since we saw him using Ken dolls in a rather interesting way..." Toshimichi seemed to grimace. That got the breeder males to hold up their hands.

"He wouldn't have worked!" Dionysus said quickly.

"Ew..." Hermes cringed.

"He could have gotten a crush on either of you," Toshimichi smirked.

"Fuck you," Hermes muttered. "I would have killed him on sight. I belong to Dana. No other. The moment we feel that our bonds are threatened, we would instinctively slaughter."

"He's right," Dionysus nodded. "Anyways, Mother is almost done giving birth. She wants to do a family dinner after she heals. The moment it's done, our Emperor needs to leave. That reminds me. What is going on with your friend?"

"Ah. With Mamoru? Well, I haven't received any information from him yet. He only told me that he was going to try and get the time off," Toshimichi sighed.

"You know of another one?" Dionysus asked.

"I do. But, I promised not to involve him."

"When he gets here, and should he join us, we should have him reconsider that," Hermes said. "You know what will happen to him, if he doesn't agree to help."

"It's also why I don't want him here, too," Toshimichi admitted. "He's an excellent man. He's honorable, trustworthy, and reliable. But, I also know this. If he sees what type of woman he can get just by joining us, he may do it."

"Oh?" Dionysus grinned.

"He's always searching for that 'perfect girl' to suit his upstanding lifestyle. He's almost like Hypnos in his studies. He likes to wear a classic uniform, though. Much like those anime students that wear the black and white tie uniforms. Black vest, white shirt, and black pants deals. He also wears glasses, and he thinks they add a sense of style to him. Here. I have a picture of him," Toshimichi chuckled and brought out his phone. The breeder males found themselves clearly amused.

Mamoru had his hair down, but the bangs were spiked a touch to frame along and down his forehead. His hair was trimmed just under them to give a sense of depth. He was clearly a rather handsome young man with a tall, slender frame. Even his face was narrowed to the classic pointed chin. A slight point to the nose held up his glasses neatly.

"I look better than him," Hermes smirked.

"You look like you came right out of a Hentai porn," Dionysus snorted.

"Shut up and go to sleep so Athena can kiss you awake!" Hermes retorted. Toshimichi found himself biting his tongue to keep from laughing out.

"Hey, assholes!" Loki grinned when he walked over.

"Oh, fuck..." Hermes scowled softly.

"I'd say fuck you and your mother, too, but your mother is also mine," Loki smirked.

"Asshole!" Dionysus muttered.

"Doing my job," both Hermes and Loki said. When they glared at each other, Toshimichi couldn't help the laughter that finally escaped him. Dionysus found himself dying, too. Even when they started arguing, the laughter didn't stop.

"There's only one way to solve this," Hermes growled and stood up to head to Agatha's room. Loki pursed his lips, but followed him. When they got to the meat locker, Nick was there to confront them with a raised brow.

"What's going on?" Nick asked.

"I'm the asshole! Not him!" Hermes said when he pointed at Loki.

"He's old news," Loki said to retort.

"You're both assholes. Hermes is the older asshole. Loki is the younger asshole. Get over it. I'm just surprised the two of you aren't working together to become one giant asshole. Yes, I know, bad description. But, think about it. If you work together, you get more done. Right?" Nick smirked. "Cooperation is the name of the game."

"So..." Hermes mused.

"Let's test this theory on Dionysus," Loki grinned wickedly.

"Okay. I think I'm finally starting to like you," Hermes grinned back. Nick watched them leave and chuckled. At the outburst from Dionysus that happened next, Alex was in an uproar of laughter in the bedroom.

"I guess they have their differences solved?" Agatha laughed softly.

"I pity anyone that tries to insult them," Alex grinned. "Anyways, we'll have that dinner soon, okay? Probably within the hour. After that, though, I need to get to Germany."

"I know," she nodded. "Just be careful."

"Don't tell me that until I'm ready to leave," he said softly and kissed her. "We're almost done. I'll spend a month or two here after that. Once we have our bases set, we'll do what we need to do next. Okay?"

"Okay," she smiled. "And I do want to know if Osiris tries to get poisoned."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll inform you. Or, I can let him do that," he nodded. "When it comes to important shit like that, they can talk to you. It's other shit that I don't like."

"I know, Zeus," she said with a yawn. She had just finished healing up, but she still felt a bit exhausted. He nuzzled her and kissed her gently.

"Hmm. Osiris is set to meet with the Germany officials. Isis is keeping a close eye on what's going on. Okay. Are you strong enough to walk?" he asked. "We should have that dinner now. Then I'll have to go."

"As you keep reminding me," she muttered. He sighed. He knew she didn't want him to leave her anymore. But, as much as he also kept reminding her, it had to be done.

"If I didn't feel that I didn't have to go, then you know I would stay," he said. "I vowed to bring all of your pieces home. I am sticking to my fucking vow. And you know this."

She seemed to look away with a frown. On thinking of what else he could do, Nick suddenly walked in to help. "My Empress, you do know that my Liege is going to Germany. He can bring back a specialty dish for you. Maybe a new meat that you haven't tried yet."

"Oh..." she now mused at the idea.

"I'll also have various drones that have started to scope out Switzerland send us some of the national, gourmet chocolate, too," Nick grinned. At the beaming look she gave the drone, Alex laughed softly. "I also know that we just got a haunch of boar meat from Spain. As well as some bull testicles. It's a specialty dish."

"I will  _not_  touch those!" Alex grimaced. Agatha was a bit curious, though, but Alex was actually going to forbid her to try them. He knew they would be, quite likely, cooked through, but he was going to be extremely cautious about various food dishes like that around her.

"Oh, no. Those are for Hermes and Loki from Robert. Maybe even Dionysus, too. He wants to show them who the real asshole in the family is. And, he's not going to say what they ate until they fully finish the plate," Nick grinned widely. Both Agatha and Alex died laughing.


	94. Chapter 94

An hour later, and a rather amusing hour it was from the stuttered disbeliefs from Hermes, Dionysus, and Loki, Alex was on a submarine to the island. He was deep in thought, too.  _Osiris was on his way to meet with the scientists in question._ The breeder male could feel his Emperor's gaze on his mind. He was being watched very thoroughly. They were also reminded to take the special pills that held their antidotes and strength boosters. The effects would last for over half the day.

"Our Emperor is very concerned," Isis smiled.

"At least it's just that, and he's not pissed off at me," he muttered. They were in their disguises and walking together rather closely. He wanted anyone who saw them to know that they were clearly an item. When they approached the base doors, there was already someone there to greet them. All he did was nod, clear his throat, and gesture to go in.

"Yes, Sir. This way, Sir," the soldier said.  _This one wasn't a drone._

"I want a status report," Osiris growled out.

"Of course, Sir," the soldier said. Other soldiers appeared now, but over half of them were drones. Osiris hid his grin and continued to walk with Isis. When the lead scientist appeared, they were waved at. He seemed to be nervously stroking his slight beard of grey. That was easily caught to show that something was up. Even the man's light brown eyes seemed a bit shifty. The moment they saw that, they knew what was planned.

_:He already plans to poison us?:_  Isis frowned in the link.

_:It seems like it. So soon, too. Well, he looked like a nice guy. Oh, well!:_  Osiris chuckled.

"Ah! You are here so soon," the man chuckled. "Come. We have lunch. Yes?"

"I'm not hungry," Osiris said casually. It was what John would have done.

"Oh?" the man frowned. "And you assistant?"

"She's fine. We ate on the way here," he said smartly. "I want a status report. You promised to give me one. Where is it?"

"I was hoping we could talk about it over lunch," the man pressed again. His English was slightly broken, but he had most of it down.

_:The drugs are in the food?:_  Osiris thought to the link.

_:If they are, play dumb. Then fuck him up!:_  Alex hissed out.

"What are we having?" Osiris finally asked.

"Grilled bear with a side of ox tail stew and borscht," the man beamed.

"And to drink?" Isis chuckled happily.

"We do have standard drinks, vodka, beer," the scientist started.

"We'll be fine with water," Osiris said wisely. They couldn't get drunk and didn't want to show that off. Their viral cells simply filtered out the alcohol. When they sat down and got served the bear steak first, they detected no chemicals. The meat was actually quite good. Plans to acquire it were now in the works. It was when they tasted the soups that Osiris noticed the difference. The lead scientist across from them made no notice as he ate. As much as he wanted to enjoy the pieces of ox tail, it was all ruined by the drugs.

"Sir, this tastes rather bitter!" Isis said in a mock tone of Lynette.

"You're right. I think it's spoiled," Osiris said and pushed the bowl away. "I'm done."

"Me, too," she nodded.

"Oh? I am sorry!" the man said quickly.

"No, Viktor. I don't think you are," Osiris said with a low growl.

"I have the same soup," he insisted.

_:He does, brother love. He's only built up his resistance.:_  Isis chuckled.  _:It's only too obvious as to how he is trying to please you with simpering tones.:_

_:I wouldn't doubt it, sister mine.:_ Osiris crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you trying to drug me? I really hope you aren't."

"No! It was a new spice we added. It may not have been prepared correctly," Viktor sighed. "Here. Wash out the taste? Water is good."

_:I think the water holds a catalyst. Remember what Hariti said?:_ Isis mumbled mentally, as she accepted her glass of water.

_:I do. Be prepared to play dumb.:_ Osiris seemed to eye his glass suspiciously to show indecision. The taste he got next was horrible, and he spat the water out. "What the fuck are you trying to pull, Viktor?!"

"Oh...nothing really..." the man said slyly. He was expecting the drugs to take instant hold. Isis went with it first by slumping over. Osiris gave a small, acting gasp and did the same. Then the man walked behind him casually and said, "Now I shall take what I need from you as you took from me! It is time!"

_:Kill. Him.:_ Alex seethed in the link.

_:No. Get a drone to take him over. Get vials of his blood first. And, my son, feel free to beat the living shit out of him as you do it.:_ Agatha said calmly. At that, Osiris reached out with a lightning quick movement to grab the man by the collar and haul his face down into the table. Isis was soon standing up and calling for the drones.

"You just fucked with the wrong man," Osiris grinned evilly. "Your Commander is dead. I am Osiris. A viral mutation. Your drugs are nothing more than cheap pieces of shit. As cheap and shitty as you are. I was just told to kill you and take over this base for my designs."

"What?!" the man gasped for air at how tightly he was being held down. Several soldiers appeared and reverted to drones. When even more drones appeared, the man was shaking.

"This base was mine the moment we found out you were trying to poison me," Osiris said and continued to grin. "In less than four hours, Project Zeus will be here to inspect this area. I need to make sure that you are presentable. As a dead corpse."

"I...no...!" the man shrieked and got plastered to a wall with viral tissue. Several drones now moved to collect his blood for storage. When Osiris dropped the guise with Isis, Viktor's jaw was dropped. He was simply speechless from everything.

"Hmm..." Isis mused, as Osiris came up behind her. His muscular frame completely accented her slender one. "We shouldn't kill him yet. Let's get the others and make a nice welcoming party for our Emperor. As much as we don't want to go against his orders, I think he would enjoy tearing them apart, himself, for Mother."

"We can do that," he chuckled and placed a hand over one of her breasts.

"Are you going to show him how we reproduce?" she snickered.

"No. He doesn't deserve to see you naked. I don't think he's gotten laid since the television was invented, anyways," Osiris smirked. "We'll just leave him there as a nice wall hanging. Oh, that's right. We wanted others up there, too, huh?"

"But...I..." the man was still too stunned to talk.

"We showed you favors by your compliance," Osiris growled at him. "We appeared at your whims. When our drones discovered what you were creating, we made our own samples to take elsewhere for testing. Yes, your drugs would have worked on humans. But not viral mutations. You have a piece of our Mother here. Project Hera. We are claiming her back. I am curious as to why you didn't do much experimenting with her piece, but that's fine. More of her to claim back. Besides, this base is only a nice bonus. But, after this outburst, maybe it would be best to simply explode it up like the others. We'll just take what we want from here."

"No! Please! I...am sorry...!" Viktor tried to plead with him.

"Sorry doesn't do shit for me, I'm afraid," Osiris snorted. "There is only one being that I'm afraid of, and he's the one coming here for you."

"I will help you!" the man pleaded.

"By poisoning us?!" Isis spat. "You had one fucking chance to prove your worth! We were planning on letting you live! After this, why should we chance that? For what purpose? Brother love, I just want to fuck him up now."

"Hmm..." Osiris narrowed his eyes in thought. Then he closed them to focus.  _:My Emperor, he's begging us to let him live. That he will help us.:_

_:You know what my answer is. Do as your Mother says. Take his blood and kill him with a drone. If he tried this shit once, it will happen again. Kill the fucker.:_ Alex scowled.

_:My Emperor, would you like to kill him instead?:_ Isis asked.

_:Fine. I'll be there soon.:_ Alex mused.  _Agatha would give me some brownie points, too, for taking out one of the humans that experimented on her. It must be why the kids were letting me do it._  At the glowing approval he got from Agatha, he had to smile.

"You will live just long enough to see what horrors await you," Osiris said to the aged scientist on the wall. "As well as any associates that still work with you."

"But..." the man said helplessly.

"No. Our decision is final.  _Maybe_  it will change when you meet our Emperor. But...I doubt that. Feel free to wet your pants, shit in them, or whatever you do at your age," Osiris grinned. "I need to get my ass laid now."

"Don't we both?" she giggled and kissed him hotly. "But, we should probably wait. If our Emperor gets here and needs us to leave...and if I'm pregnant..."

"Well, we know what else we can do. Don't we," he muttered in her ear.

"I'm sure I can try a few things to get even," she teased. He grinned, threw her over his shoulder, and left the man to hang there to work up a complex speech of forgiveness. He wouldn't be surprised if Alex agreed to let him live to only change his mind right as the man was getting gutted in half. He wanted to be there to see that.


	95. Chapter 95

When Alex finally walked into the base, he moved to inspect his mate's piece first. That was always his first priority on being there. Only when he knew that it was healthy, and fully comforted to show that it was safe, would he redirect his attention to the scientists on the wall. He was still comforting it when Osiris and Isis were able to see him.

"It's okay," Alex soothed the large piece that coiled around his hand in the solution bath. "I'm going to see to your tormentors now. Don't worry. You'll wait for me in a safe place. Then I'll take you home. Hush now. Just rest. Okay? Oh? Is that so? Hmm. Thank you for telling me. I'll see what I can do about that. Really? That's very different. I'm sure everything will be fine. I have work to do now. We'll talk more on the way home."

"It said something?" Osiris asked.

"Yes," Alex said, as a drone took the precious piece to the waiting submarine. "That piece of her is rather large. Not as large as it should be, but a decent size. They would only remove small pieces to work with. Then they put it back. They were very careful on salvaging what they had. From what I was told, their main goal was to make a type of viral weapon that would weaken the human population. Turn people into mindless drones to just do what they're told. If something failed, they would remove the failing parts and put the pure parts back."

"At least they treated Mother with some respect," Isis said.

"No. They wanted to stay on Commander John's good side by not abusing what they had. Think about it. They probably only had so much to work with. Instead of squandering it, they simply recycled. Fuck 'em all," Alex snorted. "Where are the wall hangings?"

"Over here," Osiris said. Alex grew out his claws and trudged over to where the scientists were forced to wait. He cracked his neck and looked over each one carefully.

"You...are Project Zeus...yes?" Viktor asked in a whisper.

"I am," Alex snorted. "And you're the one that tried to poison one of my generals."

"I...wish to help..." he started.

"Fuck you!" Alex sneered. "You gave up your chance at life the moment you gave them poisoned soup! But, I will admit, I wouldn't have thought of using catalysts to trigger the poisons. That was, if anything, brilliant work. Don't worry. We have all of your ideas. And we'll get even more after you become one of us in a different way."

"But...I can do much..." the man paled. The other scientists there wanted to plead, too. There was only one that actually showed promise, and she was a rather new recruit.

"You. What's your name?" Alex pointed a clawed hand at the rather youthful girl.

"Claudia," she whispered. She had her blonde hair bound back with intense, deeply brown eyes that almost looked black. She would look stunning with a touch of makeup, too.

"What brought you here?" Alex mused.

"Um...transfer," she said. She had a hard time speaking English. She was studying up on it, but she only knew so much. She appeared to understand it, though. It was only speaking it that her main issue appeared.

"She is a new recruit," Isis said. "She got here just a month ago. She knows nothing."

"Good. She'll work. Take her down, bind her up, and we'll ship her back. But, only after these assholes are dead, will we give her the choice. You know how it works," Alex grinned at Osiris. "As for these others, grab their blood if you haven't. Then it's drone time."

"No! Wait!" Viktor shouted. It fell on deaf ears. Within several minutes, the hive mind had new memories to go over. Claudia was pale, trembling, and didn't know what to do at what she just witnessed. Alex snorted at her and crossed his arms after they reverted back.

"Claudia. Are you paying attention?" Osiris asked. She broke down into tears. Isis sighed and looked over at her Emperor.

"A fucking crier. Fuck," Alex growled. "Let her finish. Then talk to her. I'm going to start heading to the submarine to tend to Agatha's piece. It still wants to talk to me."

"Really?" Osiris frowned.

"Yeah. It's been alone for a long time. I only hope she doesn't get this chatty streak from it. The puzzles should help, though," Alex thought. "How did you get here?"

"A limousine brought me from the seaport. You may have to wait for the girl."

"Ugh. Fine. I'll give you about an hour. We need to get back."

"I know. Oh, I wanted to ask you something. Did Hypnos leave the base?" Osiris asked.

"Yes. Right after I did. They should be getting close to the United Kingdom base by now. After the shake-down I did to Cronus, I knew he wasn't going to do anything. Nick would have also ensured it. Anyways, talk to the girl. Figure out if she wants to live or die. We need to get back before Ran and Frigg start to bitch," Alex said.

"I doubt they will, but I get the idea," Isis chuckled. Alex walked off and ordered any other humans to be consumed. Drones were already moving through the base to clean it up and keep with various experiments. An hour later, Osiris walked over with Claudia.

"She will join us," Osiris said.

"Good. Claudia, don't piss me off. You get one chance. Understood?" Alex said lightly.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Do you have family?" Alex asked.

"No. All gone. Um...but...brother. I do have," she said.

"Okay. Did you want us to find your brother?" Osiris asked her.

"I do not know," she frowned. "He is...um...missing."

"We could try to find him. If we do, would you like him to join us?" Osiris asked now. She showed indecision at that.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Alex asked carefully.

"Three years. Before I go. Um, to school," she sighed. She really needed to get her English down more. Osiris looked at his Emperor.

"We'll get a description from you later. When you join us, and should you want us to find him, just remember this. If we find him, and he says that he does not want to join us, he will die. Everyone gets one chance. Only one chance. That's it," Alex said sternly.

"I know," she nodded. "If he joins, I be happy. If not...well..."

"We'll talk about it later, okay?" Osiris chuckled. "We need to go."

"Yes, we do. Frigg and Ran are ready to be with their Kings now. And they are waiting patiently for me. That makes me happy. No bitching," Alex muttered. He suddenly blinked at a thought and smiled softly. Agatha wanted him to help her with a puzzle by looking through Nick. He had no issues with that at all. _I can comfort her piece and help my mate with a puzzle on the ride home._

"My Emperor, did you want us to return with you? Or start working with the base in England? Or the one in Egypt?" Osiris asked.

"England. We have a base near there. Egypt will be last. I want to take them both down within the week, if we can help it. So, you and Isis head back to the estate. Gather up your resources and make some calls. I'll be keeping tabs on you guys," Alex said.

"Understood," Osiris nodded. Claudia could only tremble at her new fate when she got in the luxury limousine that was waiting to take them to the submarine. Alex was completely ignoring her now. He had his hand in the tank with Agatha's piece to talk to it. After ten minutes, he finally withdrew his hand to sigh and muse to himself. Claudia worried her lower lip and decided to try to talk.

"So...you leader? Strong?" she asked. He glanced over at her to rest his hooded gaze on her trembling form and smirked. As much as he wasn't one for conversation, he decided to go ahead and chat for a bit.  _She was going to be making Queens. I may as well show her that she's somewhat tolerable around me to a point._

"Yes. I am. And, yes. I am the leader. My mate, or wife to you, is as strong as me. You will meet her in time. Just relax. Enjoy the ride. We have a bit of a travel ahead of us," Alex grunted and reclined in the leather seating of the limo they were in.

"You wife...pretty?" she smiled.

"She's stunning," he said. "And, no, I don't have pictures of her."

"Oh?" she frowned.

"Agatha is always hunted. We don't want anyone to know what she looks like. Pictures wouldn't do her justice, anyways," he smirked.

"You love her?"

"Yes."

"Is good to love. I never had that," she sighed.

"You will. We will have a husband made for you. You know how that's done, right?"

"Yes. Um...Osiris tell me."

"Good. Just so you know, if I ignore you, it's only because I am talking to others in the hive link. If you still want to talk, you can talk to one them," Alex said when three scout drones uncloaked to appear in various seats. "I'm a very busy guy."

"Ah..." she gaped.  _I didn't know that drones were in the car!_

"That is their job. In time, you'll know them all. Excuse me," Alex said a touch bluntly and closed his eyes. He had a puzzle to do with Agatha, and that was much more important than talking to a human girl.  _She had only one purpose to me._   _To strengthen our army with new Queens. That was it._  When he felt Agatha's mental focus gently lean into his, he gave a sigh of relief. He missed her terribly. Even as the girl now chatted away with the drones, all of it was ignored. He was completely entertained with his mate and a simple puzzle. It was the best thing he could have hoped for all day.


	96. Chapter 96

Asuna was close to giving birth. She had less than a day to go, and Hedeyasu was constantly at her side to help her around. When he was able to escape to the lab, drones were able to assist her in his stead. He was quite curious as to why only females were made and not males. As he was going over genetic samples, Dionysus walked up to him.

"Hello! What are you researching?" he asked.

"Oh. I was going to test and see if I could make a son," Hedeyasu chuckled.

"It's unlikely," the breeder male frowned. "We only want Mother to do that, anyways."

"Why is that?"

"Well, if sons were, say, miraculously created by anyone, she would feel a touch useless. We don't want that. The feeling could kill her. And that would collapse everything. You have Mother's blood in you. Her life force is now yours, pretty much. If she dies, you could die, too. It was witnessed when that fetus tried to take her over."

"Ah. Yes, I remember the headache," Hedeyasu sighed.

"So, I would stick with being happy that you can make a bunch of daughters," Dionysus smiled. "But, who knows? You and Asuna are the first full humans to only have Mother's blood. So, we don't know what will happen. Just enjoy it."

"That is true," he mused.

"It would be interesting if Mother made a Queen for any born Kings," Dionysus said thoughtfully. "However, it is confirmed that Asuna is having a Queen."

"Yes. It is. She is due to give birth soon, too," he sighed again.

"Ah. Yes, that's right. So, I'll suggest this. Stop what you're doing and go to her. We don't want her to scream for you," Dionysus said wisely. Hedeyasu nodded at that, put away what needed to be put away and went to his wife's side. Dionysus did look through the recent notes, though. There was one thing that he found highly disturbing. _Incredibly disturbing._ On thinking to his Emperor, the backlash of swearing he got was intense.

_:Did that motherfucker really isolate the gene necessary to force a King to be born?!:_ Alex shouted in the link. Agatha clearly heard this and had her attention directed on Dionysus.

_:Yes, my Emperor. However, I find it highly unlikely that it will be used. I talked him out of it. Did you want me to botch these notes?:_ Dionysus asked.

_:No. In case something does happen to me, we should test the theory. If I can birth a Queen, then it may offer us a various range of advantages.:_ Agatha said wisely.  _:If Hariti or Asuna feel that they wish to try this experiment, let them. Otherwise, we will know that it may be possible to do. We will not force them.:_

_:Mother, Dana would be willing try.:_ Hermes said.  _:As she gave you the first Queen that was born, she would like to try giving you the first King to be born. We know that Loki and Asteria are birthing a possible King and Queen pair. It's fine. But, when it comes to a single King, Dana wants to try for it.:_

_:Fine.:_ Alex snorted. They all knew how much he hated experiments like this.  _But, Agatha's idea did hold merit. If they needed more Kings to balance a surplus of Queens, this could help. It would give them more variety, too, to keep them from being identified._

Dionysus sighed and went to go see Athena. She had just gotten pregnant and was able to move around for a bit. When she saw him, she frowned softly. "Brother love, you're fine."

"I know," he said and sat down. She moved behind him to lightly massage his shoulders. "There's only two more pieces of Mother left. Then we can finally get something else going."

"Of course. Why? Do you want to leave here?" she grinned.

"No," he smirked. "As much as we could, Father wants us to stay. I told him we were staying. Besides, someone has to give the pep talks around here!"

"Hermes can't do it?"

"Hermes is the designated asshole," he snorted. "He'd irritate them first, and then talk to them about what to expect."

"I think Father showed everyone who the real asshole was at dinner," she snickered.

"Athena. Fuck you," he muttered at her sharp peals of laughter. "That was  _not_  funny!"

"We were all laughing so hard!" she giggled. He flipped her the bird to watch her grin wickedly. "Also, it wasn't just you, you know."

"I know!" he growled out and stood up to pace. "Apollo is the one that can get away with the teasing now. But..."

"Hmm?" she smiled.

"There were still a few of those left over," he mused. "Maybe if diced and mixed up..."

"Are you really going to try and give those to Apollo?!" she gaped.

"There may just be a fourth asshole on this base," Dionysus grinned evilly. Then he kissed her roughly and said, "Keep your thoughts to yourself for me?"

"On a condition," she said.

"Hmm?"

"Can you bring some chocolate back for me? Mother says that there should be some in the kitchen," she smiled. He nodded to her, kissed her again, and went into the kitchen. He saw Hermes there and grumbling. They looked at each other silently.

"Apollo?" Dionysus asked.

"Fucking son of a bitch, yes," Hermes growled.

"Want to help me fuck with him?" Dionysus grinned.

"If what you have works, I'll be treating you a touch more normally," Hermes smirked. Dionysus whispered softly to keep his thoughts out of the link. Hermes put his fist to his mouth to keep from laughing outright. Then he went to the large refrigerator to pull out the container marked 'rocky mountain oysters' to give to Kim.

"You don't want to cook it?" Dionysus grinned.

"Fuck no! I suck at cooking, anyways. Kim, can you dice up the largest one, fry it up, and serve it in something that no one would recognize?" Hermes asked. "If our Emperor asks, tell him it's for Apollo. Keep it a secret?"

"Of course," Kim nodded and took the container.

"It would be an awesome hazing ritual for new comers. For the men at least," Dionysus mused. Hermes looked at him with shock. Then they both busted up laughing. When Alex was made aware through Kim, he was all for it, too.

"Hera," Nick grinned.

"What?" she asked, as she set a puzzle piece into place.

"Dionysus and Hermes are going feed those bull balls to Apollo," the drone grinned even more. "They're fed up with him getting away with the teasing."

"If they can get away with that, you know how Apollo is going to be," she smirked.

"As long as he doesn't come to you for consoling," Nick growled.  _That was clearly Alex talking._ "Anyways, Kim is cooking up the dish."

"I would have a drone send the dish to him," she chuckled softly. "Hmm..."

"What?" Nick asked.

"Aphrodite is going to tell Apollo that she's very hungry," Agatha grinned. "She wants to be the one tease him first. And, yes, Robert is going to be informed to help out with that."

Nick roared out its laughter, and Alex was quick to inform Kim. He liked fucking with the breeder males. If anyone was the true asshole, it was him.

"My Liege is going to enjoy teasing them," Nick chuckled.

"Good. Oh, make sure Kim gives Dionysus the chocolate. Also, when is Asuna giving birth? How much time does she have?" Agatha asked seriously.

"Ah. You would do best to ask Hariti that," Nick said. She nodded with a soft sigh, and Nick let her lean into it. She missed Alex. The drone pressed a kiss to her forehead and rocked her. "He'll be home soon, my Empress. Within the next two hours."

"I know," she said softly. "I wish it was faster."

"I'm right here, Hera," Alex growled through Nick and kissed her hard. "Asuna will be giving birth when I get back. You'll merge with your piece when I see you. I'll fuck you as hard as I can after that. Two more pieces. Then you're whole."

"I can't wait," she muttered and let the drone silence her with Alex guiding its movements. She needed to be kept calm. This helped her.


	97. Chapter 97

Asuna went into labor an hour later. Hedeyasu was soon the proud father of a beautiful baby girl. When they thought of names, Dionysus was the one to tell them what they were doing for Queens. A few names that weren't picked out yet were offered.

"Let us go with Phoebe," Hedeyasu smiled.

"I like that name, too," Asuna chuckled and nursed their daughter. She was a true Japanese baby girl in both looks and sounds. Letting the new parents be alone to bond with their daughter, Robert was busy grinning with amusement just outside the door, as Apollo was going over Aphrodite's new dish. It looked appetizing, but she said the smell was off.

"What do you mean?" Apollo frowned.

"I don't know," she sighed. "Kim made it for me, but I think it's a new type of meat. Mother isn't telling me anything. Can you taste it for me?"

"Well..." Apollo sighed.  _It looked like an exquisite dish of chopped beef and elegantly fried rice. It had an Oriental appeal to it._ Finally caving in, he picked up the spoon and started to eat. He was actually surprised. _It tasted rather good!_

"How is it?" she asked.

"Ask Kim to make you another bowl," he chuckled and quickly finished off the rest.

"Oh, it's fine. Just don't tease the others anymore," Aphrodite smiled. "Apparently, a good pair can go well with, oh, just about anything, huh?"

"Wait..." Apollo blinked. At Robert's soft snicker of laughter, the breeder male swore violently at how neatly he was tricked. "You fucking assholes!"

"You ate it. You know what they taste like now," Robert chuckled when he walked into the room. "And don't get pissed at me. You can go scream at Dionysus. It was his idea."

"Oh, I'm going to do more than just scream at him!" Apollo scowled.

"But, they did taste good?" Aphrodite winked.

"You were in on it, too?!" he gaped.

"Mother told me to," she shrugged. He groaned and hung his head. "I went with it."

"Why did I end up with such a vile sister?!" he pouted.

"Oh, stop being a baby and grow a pair! Wait...you might eat them," Robert said with a rather wicked grin on his face. Apollo glared at him, as Aphrodite laughed. "Anyways, Alex will be here soon. And this isn't the last of the teasing for anyone else, either."

"I guess not," Apollo muttered. At Agatha's soft, mental, motherly laugh, he sighed. "Okay, Mother. You win this round. I'm still going to throttle Dionysus, though!"

"You should get him drunk," Robert said.

"We can't get drunk. Osiris tried," Aphrodite smiled.

"Well, I can't play favorites. So, here. I swiped it from one of the new shipments for your mom. You can tell Dionysus to use this in case his hair gets in his face," Robert said and tossed a hair barrette to his son. "I was wondering when to use that at the right time."

"We should give Dionysus a makeover!" Aphrodite beamed. "We can blindfold him and dress him up, too. I'm sure that Athena can help."

"No," Apollo said and gave back the barrette. "I'm going to do something else. I'm not going to do a damned thing. He tends to do enough on his own."

"You think so?" Robert rose a brow.

"Trust me. I know," Apollo grinned. Then he became alerted to something and moved quickly to the meat locker. He sensed that something was going on before the drones did. He found Frigg walking up the hall leading to Agatha's bedroom. She paused when he appeared. She had kept her thoughts out of the link and was a touch surprised that he found her out. She was even camouflaging herself to get past the drones, too. He sensed everything, and she dropped the camouflage when she noticed that he saw her standing there. "Go back to your room, please. Our Emperor will be back in just a bit."

"Oh. I just...wanted to see the eggs..." she frowned.

"No. You will wait for him," Apollo said calmly. "You are in deep enough trouble, as it is. Don't let yourself sink any further. The moment our Emperor is settled, you will be called for. Please leave this area."

"But...Uncle Apollo..." she whimpered.

"Do I need to tell our Emperor about this?" he asked lightly. At her wide-eyed gaze, she quickly left the area. Ran was being held back by her parents, too. The instinctive drive to be with their Kings was starting to suffocate them.

"What just happened?" Robert asked when he walked over.

"I caught Frigg about to make a grave mistake," Apollo sighed.

"We sensed nothing," Aden said when it appeared. "She kept her thoughts to herself."

"I'm surprised that Amunet let her go. Ah. Frigg said she just wanted to walk around for a bit of freedom. Amunet didn't realize what her true plans were. Steve is going to ensure that her ass is grounded until our Emperor gets back."

"He knows now, but he won't do anything. He'll give her the impression that his respect for her diminished even more. My Liege wants to know how you sensed her before us. Frigg was also using camouflage. You sensed her."

"I sensed that something was wrong," Apollo said.

"You're evolving," Nick said when it walked out of the meat locker. "This is a good thing. You can sense if there is going to be a break in here. You can alert us to anything."

"Then my ass is staying put here," Apollo nodded with a small smirk.

"My Liege will be back within the hour," Nick said. Apollo nodded and left quickly. What he didn't know was that Alex was having Kim make several small bags filled with gourmet nuts. They were to be delivered to Hermes, Apollo, Dionysus, and Loki. A small note would be attached to each small bag that read, 'Enjoy the nut sack. From your Emperor.' Of course, they would be delivered after Alex got back. He wanted to witness the chaos he caused in full.

The moment he did get back, Agatha was waiting for him. She was wearing her pure white toga, and she managed to convince her hair to let her wear a gold and diamond tiara. A matching necklace and armband was also in place. She was trying to look as stunning as possible for her mate. When Claudia managed to step out, various drones were quick to surround her, but in a non-hostile way. It was only to escort her to the lab. But, for a moment, a wave of jealousy hit her when she saw how Alex went straight to his mate.

"Hera," he smiled. He saw what she was wearing. He was fighting the urge to drag her straight back into their chamber. They both knew how much they missed each other.

"Zeus," she whispered. He pulled her close to kiss her passionately and hug her with a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes and let his stress melt away. When her hair moved to gently coil around his form, he heard the small gasp from the new human recruit. Looking over at her, he smirked. Agatha looked over and narrowed her eyes. She saw how Claudia was watching her mate. It sent a nasty vibe through her. "I don't like her."

"Hmm?" he frowned.

"She likes you. I can feel it," she said and tensed up.

"If she tries anything, kill her," he muttered. "She gets one chance."

"She's going to lose it," Agatha growled.

"Hera, we have more important things to do right now. Let's let you bond with yourself. I'll fuck you senseless. Then Ran and Frigg need their Kings," he mumbled and kissed her. "I missed you terribly, Hera. Stopping to kill a human is like stopping to smell the flowers. It may be done, but not right now. She agreed to help with Queens. She gets one chance. Okay?"

"All right," she nodded. When one of her tendrils of hair moved to try to get close to the human girl, Alex was quick to gently coax it back with a soft petting motion. Claudia was quickly moved away from Agatha's line of sight.  _Hopefully with a shot of blood, it would mellow out the mood._   _If Claudia lived long enough to get a breeder male, then the problem would be easily resolved._ As it was, Huiling's breeder male had already hatched into a rather interesting specimen. He bore incredibly handsome Chinese features, and a lithe, powerful frame. They were easily cooped up in her room to be undisturbed.

It wasn't that Claudia was jealous of Agatha, in truth. She was jealous of the bond that Alex shared with her. The human girl wanted a bond like that. To have one as powerful as Alex was something she also wanted, too. Dionysus would make sure to give her a pep talk about it in due time. They did need Queens, but they would also dispose of rival emotions to their Empress. Such a thing would not be tolerated at any time.

When Agatha's piece was finally brought out, her tendrils moved to consume it. She paused and went still as this happened. With a deep breath, she regained herself and went over the memories. Alex held her the whole time. When she started to move, he asked, "Can you tell me anything important? Or is everything fine?"

"For once, everything is okay," she smiled. "I don't feel any different."

"Good. Now, do I fuck you senseless? Or do we let Ran and Frigg claim their Kings?"

"Are the rooms completed?"

"Yes. They are."

"Let them claim their Kings to silence them. After that, we'll have some time alone," she smiled. He chuckled, kissed her hard, and led her back to their chambers.

"Get the Queens. Tell them they have less than five minutes," Alex growled out to be heard. "Hurry the fuck up!"

The drones were quick to send the message. Then Alex cracked a wide grin when his little 'gift bags' were delivered. The result sent waves of laughter and shock through the link. And he knew they couldn't say a damned thing about it.

"You got them good," Robert grinned when he walked up to them.

"I know. You here to see the Kings get claimed?" Alex asked.

"Yes. Would I get her with breeders after you?" he asked calmly.

"Yes, you would. I want to make sure the Kings are off the base before I leave her alone again. We'll have some time before Sif is ready. I can possibly get the last two bases knocked out before she's old enough for her King. Meret may be giving birth before I leave. That's fine. I've been trying to keep a mental clock going on who gets older, and who gives birth when. So far, I'm on top of everything," Alex said. When he glanced over to see Frigg appearing, he snorted at her and ignored her. Now Frigg knew she was even less in his eyes. She trembled, but she vowed to make up for it after this. Ran was simply waiting patiently to see the eggs.

"Are you both ready?" Agatha asked them.

"Yes, Grandmother," Ran said.

"I have been ready," Frigg said softly. Alex said nothing. There was no need for him to say anything to her at all. They walked into the bedroom, and Agatha reclined in the bed with her mate. The specialized tendril now revealed the Kings.

"Good. Ran, you go first. Just look for which King responds to you and put your hands on the egg. After that, you will be escorted to a room," Agatha instructed. She was punishing Frigg by making her go after. Alex smirked and nuzzled her. Frigg tensed at first, but she forced herself to wait. She knew what was being done.

"Very well," Ran said and walked up to the tendril. When one of the eggs shifted for her, she pressed her hands onto it. Once the bond was cemented and various changes to the body began, a drone was quick to remove the egg and lead her to a room. When it was Frigg's turn, Alex only watched her to ensure that everything went well. As Frigg looked over the eggs, she seemed to shake with surprise.

"None are moving for me," she whispered.

"I see," Agatha frowned. "Your body is ready, but your mind is not. You have not decided to fully grow up into a Queen role."

"What?!" she gasped.

"Darling, sit down," Agatha gently coaxed. When Frigg sat down in a chair, Alex was quick to pay attention. "When a King is ready to bond, he needs to know that the Queen made for him is fully ready for him. You have a duty to this empire. With all the snooping around and attempts to see him before your time, it made you undesirable. No King wishes to be with you."

"But..." she whimpered.

"You fought against your Emperor," Agatha said sternly. "You went against his wishes. Your King may feel that the same will be done to him. How do I know this? Because Hypnos has been watching everything carefully. He can actually remember what happened in the bonding link. He's that intelligent. So, I want you to talk to him. Now."

"Yes, Grandmother," Frigg nodded and focused.

_:Good. You can hear me clearly.:_ Hypnos said in the link. Even in the link his voice was deep in tone.  _:I have tried to reach you before, but you kept pushing me out. You didn't want to listen to what I was trying to tell you. As it is, we don't have much time. So, listen to me now. And listen good. In order for a King to respond to you, you HAVE to cast out your childish thoughts. It's fine to be childish when it calls for it, but not like this. When Eir was ready to bond with me, I felt that I didn't know if she was ready. When I felt her determination, it changed my mind. You don't have that determination.:_

_:But...this is how I am!:_ Frigg argued.

_:Then you need to change it. A Queen without a King is useless. As our Emperor has been telling us all along, you need to grow up. You will not grow up. This is the price for such a thing. I thought you had changed when our Emperor spoke to you and chewed your ass out. You didn't change at all. For a little bit, you did. But then you reverted back. You need to fix yourself before your window for getting a King is gone.:_ Hypnos said gravely.

_:There is a window?:_ Alex frowned.

_:There is, my Emperor. She only has an hour left. And it started when she went to inspect the eggs. The bonding HAS to be done within that hour. This hour. She will die, if she does not bond soon. I know this, because I felt it. Even Eir admitted that she felt something change in her as she searched for me.:_ Hypnos sighed.  _:So, Frigg...please. For your parents. For the family you are in...change your ways. Now. Or you will die.:_

Frigg gasped and snapped out of the link at this news. Agatha was in complete shock. Alex was deep in thought, but he looked at the young Queen. He finally said, "Frigg. I will respect you in full if you change your ways. The moment that you bond with a King will show me that I can trust you again."

"You will?" Frigg asked softly. Now Alex saw that his lack of respect for her was the cause of everything. At his nod and small smile, her confidence returned. Her determination to serve the hive mind got stronger. She got up and went to the eggs. Finally an egg moved for her, and she was able to cement her bond. After she left with it, he told Agatha what he discovered.

"So...you have to respect the Queens for them to have the confidence to bond," she mused. "You may have to speak with them when they are young."

"I know," he agreed. "And that is what I intend to do from now on."

"And as for now?"

"I'm going to fuck you with everything I have," he grinned softly. "I won't leave until the Kings are gone. Don't be surprised if Robert comes in here to fuck you next."

"That's fine by me," she chuckled and kissed him hard when he finally got to claim her.


	98. Chapter 98

Five hours later, Ran was still watching her King develop into the most stunning man she had ever laid eyes on. Frigg was watching the same form of changes being done, but he was slower in development. With two Kings being on the base, it was almost instinctive for them to form one after the other. It was as though the one that bonded first had the right to hatch first. The hive mind was watching carefully to learn what they had to for future times like this.

The specialized air conditioning had kicked in ten minutes before the Queens arrived with their bonded eggs. The hallways were now flooded with drones to ensure that there would be no fighting. Agatha would likely have to see them as they left the base. It would be the only way to ensure their safety. The last thing that anyone wanted was for the two Kings to get it into their heads to attack each other. Alex was planning to show who was the boss the moment Agatha was ready for Robert. She had another hour left before she gave birth.

Ran could only stare in silent fascination at the rather muscular developing male. She could tell that his hair was becoming shoulder length, was black and had lighter tips on the ends. He also began to give off an aura of silent, strong determination. As though he was going to become her backbone when she needed it. That was her secret need. To know that she had an equal that would support her and drive her in the right direction of her goals.

Frigg's need was to simply be spoiled and pampered to no end. The male she was watching under development seemed to have short, silver-blond hair, a lithe body, and a rather worshipful, yet noble, feel around him. Each male was always catered to what they desired. Rhea wanted someone that could protect her and prove himself time and time again. But, because he was the first King born, he gained the unneeded egotistic streak. Hypnos was the intelligent scholar of the hive mind. His wisdom and know-how was going to be one of the keys to assisting them in successful planning.

As Ran's egg developed, she was already forming a kinship with her King. She was aware that she may have to fight him at first. _That it would be instinctive._ Even the others verified that bit for her. When she finally saw her King twitch, she backed away to give him room to hatch. When he opened his eyes to look at her, her jaw dropped. His eyes were the color of a stormy ocean sky. They were beautiful to look at.

He jumped out of the egg to finally stand tall and stretch. His body was becoming as muscled as Osiris's was, but it was much leaner, too. His hair seemed to finish growing to the center of his back. Each strand of hair had a soft, blond tip to each end. It looked dramatic in a way. When he connected with the hive mind, he gleaned what he needed. Then he looked at her. She could only stare back at him with complete surprise.

"My name is Oceanus," he said gently. His voice was deep, but had a lightness to it, too. There was also the sense of a calm and quiet vibe, as well. It showed that he wouldn't be much of a talker. He may only talk to those that he needed to talk to. "It's good to finally meet you."

"Likewise," she swallowed. He reached for a towel to dry himself lightly. Then he quickly pounced her. She screamed, and, for the first time anyone could recall, she didn't have time to set up her instinctive shielding. He completely bypassed that. He was going to be the fastest King that was ever created. Only Alex would be faster than him.

"I'm sorry, Ran," he muttered and kissed her hard. He had already ripped the kimono away from her to start seeding her. "I'll make up for this...later..."

"You..." she whimpered. "But..."

"Later," he vowed and let the instinct to seed her take over. Now that they were fully bonded, Frigg's egg started to evolve even faster. The King seemed to know that it was safe to hatch. Frigg could only stare with her own form of mute fascination. When her King was able to jump out of the egg, he watched her carefully with eyes that resembled blue sapphires. When he gave her a warm, gentle smile, she gasped with surprise. He closed his eyes in silent meditation to connect with the hive mind. After that, he was able to regard her fully.

His hair was still short, but it seemed to end just past his ears. His body filled out a bit more, but had a slender leanness to it to show that he was going to be more of one based on intellect. Much like Hypnos, but he had a different form of intelligence.

"Hello, Frigg," her King chuckled. His tone seemed almost musical, but there was a strong touch of a noble ring, too. "I picked the name Coeus. I am honored to be your King. Will you be my Queen?"

"I want to, but..." she swallowed. The instinct to fight him was there. He was expecting this. He lacked the speed that Oceanus had, but he was already showing that he was a superb tactician. He was going to work his way around her instinct to shield herself. He was told what Oceanus did. He felt that he had to prove himself now.

"You don't have to use your hair," he said softly. "The moment you become my Queen, I'll make sure to shower you with what riches I can. I'll pamper you silly. Wouldn't you like that? To know that I won't let you lift a single finger to do anything ever again?"

"But...I..." she tensed.

"Our Emperor wouldn't mind. It would be all me," he smiled again with a light, warm laugh. That very sound seemed to hit her in a way that it began to melt her defenses. That was what Coeus wanted to see.  _I know how to win her affections._  "You would never have to worry about anything. I'd be the one taking care of you in full."

"I do want it!" she trembled. "But...I just...I feel that I have to fight you..."

"But, there is no need to. Right?" he asked gently. Her hair started to form, but he began to sing softly. This was part of the strategy. Hypnos was able to mesmerize with his eyes and deep voice. Coeus simply had to sing once he knew when it was time. His voice seemed to echo and ebb around her. The instinct to fight him melted away in full. Before she knew it, he had her clothes off and she was in the bed with him.

"How?!" she gasped.

"Just trust me. Always in me," he whispered and laid claim to her. As the two newly mated pairs were now preoccupied, Alex was clearly in awe.

"Neither Queen had a chance to fight," he grinned.

"I have also noticed that each King seems to have a very invaluable skill," Agatha chuckled. "Did you notice it?"

"Hmm? Oh! I think you're right," Alex pondered. He let her continue to cuddle into him, and he mused. "Cronus, the asshole, seems to have a protective streak. It's good, since he'll want to be in the front lines to defend the hive when he can. Hypnos is our intelligence. He can also sort of muddle the senses with that voice of his. Even with his eyes, too. Coeus seems to be able to do the same thing, but only with his voice. I did notice that he tested that with a small laugh. And Oceanus is just...extremely fast. But, I'm sure I'm faster than him."

"You can test that theory before he leaves," she giggled. He nodded in agreement. "From what I know, Frankie is set to go with Frigg. He has been advised to meet Coeus in that room later. And, apparently, Fumio did agree to go with Ran. He's quite taken with her."

"And there was jealousy through the other soldiers," Alex grinned. "Anyways, Robert will fuck you senseless after these eggs are out of you. We'll make sure those Kings meet with me while that happens. Then, before you give birth, I'll have to send those two Kings away. They can send us a pair of breeders and some drones when they make some."

"I know," she nodded. "It would be for the best. And, you plan for England to visit next? Or Egypt?"

"England. The base is located just off the main island. The entrance to it is underwater. Submarine accessible only. Osiris verified that. It's a nice little base, too. It's actually built into the island. Much like Japan was, but there is no other way in. But, I am concerned. Our base is only fifty miles away from it. It's why I want to take it out first. However, because it's so close, our drones have already infiltrated it in their silent fashion. It's ready for me to simply go in and pick up your piece. I may also check out the base in question to decide if it's worth keeping. After that, I come back to you. Fairly simple."

"Good," she yawned. "I can't wait for this to be over."

"You and me both," he nodded. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and rested with her. He was already making the new Kings know that he was watching them closely. They were squirming a bit. He grinned wickedly.  _It was going to be fun to meet them face to face._


	99. Chapter 99

When it was time for the new breeder studs to meet the new Kings, they were warned to not let the Kings out of the rooms. They were to only go in, make their introductions, and leave just as quickly. With the doors opening and closing, it would only be a matter of time before they scented each other in the air. If the base was in open air, it would have been safer. But, this was an underwater base. _Eventually the scents would be detected. It was inevitable._  And, because of this, each room was stretched out a bit from the base, itself. It would take a touch longer for scents to travel and be extremely difficult for a King to try to get down the slightly long stretch of hallway to the main base.

When Fumio went to meet with Oceanus, he actually felt a sense of dread. Swallowing a bit, he braced himself and walked into the room. On glancing at him, he was surprised at how this King looked. _And he was still naked, too._  He was suddenly shoved aside when the King swiftly moved past him for the opened door. If it wasn't for the drones there, the new King would have rushed past him to explore the base.

"You must stay here, Oceanus," a lesser drone of Robin growled with its bulk neatly blocking the way out. There were two others of it just beyond it.

"It is not safe for you to wander," a lesser drone of Nick said with its claws out. Each drone was ready to force the King back into the room with either attack or sheer muscle. Oceanus now realized how packed the long hallway was with drones.  _I wouldn't be able to sneak past them if I tried._ The other King was still in the other room and safely out of the way. Frankie didn't open that door yet. He was warned to wait. But, it was when Alex caught wind of what just happened that the issue was quickly seen to.

_:You fucking stay put, fuck head!:_ Alex snarled at him in the link. At that, the King's jaw dropped and he cringed. He just pissed off his Emperor. That wasn't a good thing to do as a first time meeting. Even in the hive link. He now showed that he couldn't be trusted.  _:Prove yourself to me! Show me your worth. Wanna do that? Listen and fucking obey! If you don't, I'll fuck you up! Just try and test me. I dare you. I'll do the same fucking thing to you that I did to Cronus! Wanna know what that is? Ask him. Go ahead. Don't want to? Pull that shit again. I'll show you what I did to him firsthand. I have no problems doing that.:_

Oceanus now shivered with wide eyes at the reflected pain that Cronus sent him. He stiffened and stared at the ground. When Ran looked at him with complete worry, he walked over to her and reclined in the bed to let her comfort him.

"He's not much for words, Fumio," she said, as she held him. "He knows that you are my stud. You should go. After I give birth, I may be able to let you be with me. Until then, just see to my needs. There won't be much else to do, I'm afraid."

"Of course," Fumio nodded slightly. When he left, Oceanus shivered.

"The pain..." he whispered. "It's not mine...and yet..."

"I know," she frowned and kissed his forehead. "But...it's for your safety. Just stay with me. Okay? Trust in me as I trust in you."

"Why...should I stay...?"

"Because Frigg has her King here, too," Ran said gently and stroked his cheek. He looked at her with a touch of surprise. "We don't want you fighting him. It would upset Grandmother. That and, well...our Emperor my slaughter you if you even attempt it."

"Another King? Strange. I can't smell him."

"The air is filtered in here. You may scent him in time. Just rest with me," she said with a smile. "Father and Grandfather will wish to see you soon. We can have lunch with them."

"Very well," he nodded. He would only speak to her freely. Of course, he would speak to Alex and Agatha. He knew that he would likely let Ran do most of the talking for him with everyone else. He was her silent protector when he needed to be. There was nothing else that she would have wanted. As she comforted her shaken up King, Coeus was too preoccupied with pampering his new Queen. Frigg was thoroughly enjoying it.

"Coeus," Frigg smiled. "I think Frankie is coming here to meet you."

"Really?" he chuckled. "Good! I'd like to see what he's all about. I understand that he has spectacular vision. It would benefit us."

"I know," she agreed. He fed her a strawberry dipped in whipped cream. Then he glanced over at the door when it opened. Coeus was still in the bed to let her rest against him. As the King studied the new stud that walked in, Frankie seemed to pause. Coeus was looking at the opened door, and Frankie was quick to close it. That had the new King puzzled. _I was not allowed to leave?_  When the hive link revealed who Frankie was, he nodded in greeting.

"I guess you know who I am?" Frankie asked.

"Yup!" he nodded. "I'm Coeus. Good to meet you! Ah, do you think I could explore a bit? I think the exercise would do me some good."

"No. It's not safe for you," Frankie said with a shake of his head. At Coeus's small glare, Frankie rose up his hands. "Look. There's another King on this base. We don't want you to mess with him and vice versa. I was warned by Alex, too. Um, your Emperor. Take it up with him, if you don't like what I just said."

"So..." Coeus blinked. Now that he saw that Frankie was just obeying orders, his attitude did a complete turn-around. "It's fine. I didn't know that our Emperor told you what to do. I won't question it. Oh. Oceanus is here. And he...pissed off our...ah...yeah..."

"Yeah. Don't fuck with Alex. I've seen what he does," Frankie grimaced at what he did to his ex-teammates. "Anyways, you'll likely meet with him before we have to split."

"Gotcha," Coeus nodded. "Could you help get Frigg something eat? Maybe something like, oh, chocolate covered fruit and sweet meats?"

"I can do that," Frankie nodded. When he left, Coeus caught the scent of the other King from the opened door. When his lip curled back with instinctive thoughts to fight him, Alex gave a crushing, scalding, mental glare at him. Instinct won out to quickly submit to his powerful Emperor and discard the thoughts. Frigg could only wince for her King.

"Now I see. It really isn't safe. Is it?" Coeus swallowed.

"No. I was warned about this, too. It would hurt me, if you fought him," she shivered.

"My love, you know it won't happen," he smiled. "I don't think I could leave here if I even tried. Yes, the scent caught me by surprise. And, yes, the urge to approach and fight did happen. But, our Emperor curbed my thoughts. I'm still here with you. I'm fairly sure that I won't be going anywhere until it's time for us to go."

"I don't want you to go anywhere. You are supposed to be pampering me. You promised me," she sniffed. He grinned and tickled her lightly.

"I know. Hmm. I should get an instrument in here. Or, when we settle. A violin would be nice," he mused. "I'd like to learn how to play as many instruments as possible."

"Something to use with your voice?" she chuckled.

"Of course!" he grinned a bit wider. "Why not?"

"I wonder if recording your voice would have the same power as hearing it in person," she thought. Now he found himself pondering the thought.

"We will definitely test it. Ah...oh! Hypnos will see about making something for me. Yes, I know he's another King, but we seem to be fine at various distances."

"It's only in an enclosed space like this that you want to fight?" she asked.

"Yes. To prove dominance and such. As much as I would like to try fighting him, I know that our Emperor is watching us. It seems to, oh, curb that need. I can see him as a long-distance brother. I think Cronus is finally able to do that, too. We may not ever meet in person, but I think video links could work."

"What are you thinking of?"

"Well, we may have to do small war councils. Eventually," he explained. This was where his talent clearly showed in tactical ways. He would be very useful when it was time for the hive to reveal themselves. "I know Hermanubis could help with that, too. He did set up cameras on the island. He could do so in each base. This way we could video chat. The hive link is nice, but I know you'll want to speak with your mom and dad on occasion. And, Rhea agrees, too. She wants that. She misses her mother and father. This can help all of us."

_:I am impressed. We will see what we can do.:_ Alex said to him directly. Coeus blinked at the praise. Then he sensed the mild jealousy from the other Kings. Any King that got direct favor from Alex was going to be seen as a mild enemy. But only briefly. It simply made them want to get that favoring, too.

"I guess that sticking to distant chat would be a must," Coeus said when he pursed his lips together. "Our Emperor just praised me. The other Kings are slightly jealous."

"Well, they'll just have to suck it up," Frigg chuckled. He smiled and kissed her gently. When he heard the door opening, he pressed his face into her neck. He had to block out the other scents. As long as he stayed with her, then it would be fine.

"Coeus," Frankie said when he set down a couple platters. "I was told what will happen when I am to be with Frigg."

"Oh? Do tell," the King muttered against Frigg's neck. "And I'm only like this to keep her scent locked around me."

"Right," Frankie agreed and shut the door before sitting down. "When it's my turn to be with her, I'm sure that you won't want to watch. You'll be directed to another room to meet with Alex. Possibly even Agatha, too. After an hour, I should be done. And, eh...yeah. You might smell Oceanus. He may have to be in that room before you to wait on Fumio."

"Not good," Coeus growled.

"Want my honest opinion?" Frankie asked.

"Sure. Go for it," the King said.

"I think it's a test to see how well you can withstand being around another King," Frankie said calmly. At that news, Coeus now turned to look at him with surprise.  _His reasoning made perfect sense._  "There may be times that you Kings would have to meet up. To fight alongside each other. If you can build up your resistances to each other early, you can block off the instincts to fight. Or, you can keep this mental check. Alex is alive. He will kill you. There is no need to fight each other while your Emperor is alive and at peak health."

"Or just alive, in general," Coeus thought. He let the idea filter to the other Kings.  _The idea was sound and justified._  Cronus would be the hardest one to work with it, since he was the first King, but he would definitely practice with it. Rhea would easily help him.

"Another idea I had," Frankie said. "Now, it could be risky. But, see if you guys can wear some clothing and transfer it to each other. Get the scents of each other. If you can get used to other scents from new and old Kings..."

"That could work!" Coeus said. "We'll know not to fight with those scents. If we feel the instinct, we can push it back and control it. The others agree. We can do that after we leave here. All for precaution. Frankie, I am glad that you are to be Frigg's stud male. You've proved yourself to me. When Frigg gives birth, I'll make sure to call on you."

"Good. Just let a drone know," he nodded and left.

"He was one of the soldiers tricked into coming here," Frigg sighed.

"True," Coeus chuckled. "Anyways, his idea is awesome. Cronus is in, too. He wants to prove his worth to our Emperor. So does Oceanus. He may not be vocal, but he tends to talk in the hive link more. Only when needed, though. He's an odd one."

"It's what Ran wanted," Frigg giggled. "She told me that she always wanted a deadly, silent protector of sorts. She definitely got that."

"Silent and deadly? That's a fart joke, if I ever heard one," he grinned wickedly. Her jaw dropped, and she laughed hard. At the link laughter from the others, and the mental scowl from Oceanus, he gave a soft laugh of his own. He did know that he wouldn't want to fight anyone that didn't need it. Not only would it upset Frigg, but he didn't want to be killed off. He was shown a form of favor from Alex. He wanted to keep that favor.


	100. Chapter 100

True to what Frankie said, the moment Ran gave birth to her first set of drones, Fumio was told to be with her. As much as Oceanus hated the idea, it had to be done. He still hadn't said a word to the stud, but that was fine. It was his nature. Clothes were delivered to him, though. He was able give mental pictures of what he wanted. A drone had come in to get his measurements, too. It was simply too risky for him to get his clothes done any other way.

His clothing of choice was all grey in color. It almost matched his storm-grey eyes. From the boots, to the pants, and the shirt, it was all he needed. But, the shirt was more like a long-sleeved tunic with light stitching near the front collar. It seemed to lightly expose his chest a bit, but just enough. The pants were form-fitting, but comfortable to wear. The boots looked soft with stiff cuffs on the top of them, but they were inlayed with reinforced steel for extra support. He kept his hair loose, too. He seemed to like the feel of the air moving around it.

When he walked out of the room at last, he paused at the scent of Coeus in the air. He gave out a small, hissing snarl, but it was curbed quickly. It would always be instinctive to show that challenge at first. It couldn't be helped. At least he was able to kill it. The idea that Frankie gave them was clearly working.  _My Emperor is alive._  That was enough for him to behave himself.

"Oceanus. This way," a lesser drone of Aden said. The King nodded and followed the drone. He was led over to a small room with a small table laden with food and drink. Alex was already there with a neutral expression on his hooded face. He had his elbows on the table, and his hands were folded in the air in front of him. He was brooding and clearly showed it.

"Good. You're here. Sit," he said. Oceanus knew he was still on his Emperor's shit list. He was quick to do as he was told. "You're doing well. Keep it up. I'm sure you know what's expected of you, right?"

"Yes, my Emperor," Oceanus nodded.

"Your mother will be here shortly. She's still fucking Robert," he snorted.

"Fumio is with Ran right now," the King said with his own distaste.

"That's fine. You'll form an alliance with him. Without him, she can't make breeders."

"I know this."

"Good. The Japan base is set up and working. The drones are busy hauling ass to get it stocked with food, water, and other supplies. Same thing with the China base for Frigg and Coeus. Oh. Was there anything of importance that you wanted there? Anything...special?" Alex asked. "I know you're fast. Dexterous and such."

"That is my talent," Oceanus agreed.

"Let's test it," Alex grinned and took out a chess piece. He placed it on the table between them. "Grab it. When you do, I'll reach for it, too."

"To see who gets it first?"

"Exactly," he grinned again. The moment Oceanus snatched at it, it was already gone. Alex now held it up in his hand. It almost looked like nothing happened between them. Everything took place within the blink of an eye. The King gave a nod of deep respect. Alex was clearly faster than him. It was expected. "I seem to be a second faster than you."

"So it would appear."

"You may be able to help scout various places. Can you camouflage?"

"I don't believe I can," Oceanus sighed. "I am fast, yes. We both know this. I'm not very strong, but I can work on that with training. Would it be possible to isolate the camouflage gene from Mother's DNA to give to us? Or at least to me?"

"Now...that may be something we can do," Alex mused. "But not with her. I'd go with one of the scout drones. It's all the same gene."

"Very true," he agreed. They continued to talk and plan possible ways of exposure once the last two pieces of Agatha were found. The video chat lines were going to be a must for discussions like this. A specialized room in each base was going to be constructed. Alex was sure that conversations like this would be need to be done.  _We had to start strategizing now to plan ahead in order smooth out any flaws._

"Do you like the idea of scented clothing?" Alex asked.

"I do. I believe that it will help us gain control over a needless instinct," Oceanus said in a rather serious tone. "We all have strengths and weaknesses. This is a weakness that cripples all of us. As Kings, that is. We know that we have to work together in various ways to get things done. That is a must."

"That it is. You have redeemed yourself to me. Just keep yourself in check," Alex warned. "I was just notified that Fumio is almost done. And, a word of advice to you. Start talking to Fumio. Even if it's just a few words, it's fine. You have to build an alliance with him. All Kings and stud males need this. It's what I did with Robert. I made a promise to Hera, and I'm keeping it. I expect ALL Kings to do the same. No exceptions. If this is not done, I will intervene. You don't want me to intervene. Understood?"

"Yes, my Emperor," Oceanus nodded deeply.

"Take some food back to Ran. Don't try to explore, either. The drones won't let you. Hmm. Wait a moment," Alex said. He got up and opened the door to let Agatha in. Nick was with her, as always, and Robin was carrying her. Once again, she was wearing her toga and jeweled finery. Oceanus held his breath now. At the smile and regal nod she gave her son, he realized why the other Kings wanted to be with her.

"Hello, Oceanus. It is good to meet you at last," she chuckled. "You are treating Ran with due respect?"

"I am," he nodded.

"Good!" she beamed. "I look forward to any ideas you have when the time comes. Now, you should go back to Ran. Take her some sweet meats. She'll enjoy them. Oh, and various cheeses, too. Trust me."

"Of course," he chuckled. He knew that Alex was watching him carefully. Then, as a test, Alex moved over to Agatha to kiss her fiercely. He could sense the jealousy rise, but it was quickly curbed. She knew why her mate did it. He knew she wasn't very pleased, but that it had to be done to work with the instinct.

"You should go now," Alex said. "After you are secured in your chamber, I'll be seeing to Coeus. And remember. Talk to Fumio."

"Yes, my Emperor," Oceanus nodded. When he left, Alex had Agatha settle in a chair next to his. He shared a plate of cheese with her, and she ended up looking at him.

"You had to kiss me?" she asked.

"You don't like me kissing you?" he grinned.

"I never said that," she sniffed.

"They have to work with the instinctive want to try and be with you. The more I fuck with them, the more they have to put up with it. They will learn not to fuck with you."

"Just by letting them feel what Cronus did should be enough," she snorted. He grinned and kissed her deeply. "I will admit that I do miss you more now, Zeus. It's starting to hurt."

"I know," he sighed and ran a finger along her jaw. "It kills me, too, Hera. The more you're whole, the more I want to stay. It's like I keep saying. Two more places. Two more pieces. I'll leave the moment the two Kings are gone. And, of course, after you give birth."

"I get that," she smiled and let him kiss her again. "And Amunet is with Steve again. So is Amaterasu with Sakuma."

"With all these new Queens being born so close together, I won't be able to leave you alone, anyways. It would be too risky," he muttered and ended up pulling her into his lap. He needed her closer, and this was the best he could get right now. "You would have to travel with me to various places. It's a possibility."

"If we expose ourselves, you know that I would refuse to be left behind," she growled lightly. He grinned softly, nuzzled her, and chuckled. Nick smiled a touch and moved to the door to let in Coeus. At the scent of Oceanus in the room, he stiffened and bristled. But it was only for a second. At the sight of Agatha in Alex's lap, he went speechless. She smiled warmly and gestured for him to sit down.

"So, Frankie's with Frigg?" Alex asked.

"Ah...yes..." Coeus nodded and brought himself around at the question. He sat down and showed he was paying attention.

"Good. You're fighting the instinctive want to kill your brother," Agatha nodded.

"I know it," Coeus said with a small smile.

"I'll be sure to kill the instinct, if you bring it out again," Alex said in a low growl of warning. At the nip his mate gave his neck, he looked at her with a wolfish grin. "I'm just saying what would happen. As long as he's in control, then it's fine."

"I know," she smirked. "So, I hear you're quite the singer."

"I am," Coeus chuckled. "I was hoping for some instruments. In due time, of course."

"That can be arranged. We can test how well you can control others with that voice of yours, too," Alex nodded. "I'm sure that both you and Hypnos could be quite the formidable team. That's if you worked together."

"Well, we do seem to dress the same. I'm just not so flamboyant with my dress," Coeus chuckled again. He was dressed in various shades of color reminding one of a dark orange-red, but it was almost the same style as Oceanus. The only difference was that he went with an overcoat that was held together with a gilded gold buckle. Unlike Hypnos's Gothic tones, it looked like it was all pieced together in various types of soft leather. "He also has that voice of his, too. We were thinking of possibly combining our voices together to see what would happen. It would be amusing to make a small band out of it."

"That would be funny," Alex grinned. "It would be a good way for exposure, too."

"A traveling music band?" Agatha asked.

"Sure. It would give us more ways to infiltrate silently. But, you would first need to curb your ways around the other Kings. That would be a must."

"Oh, trust me. I'm well aware of that," Coeus sighed. "And, as much as I hate to admit it, if I can shake hands with Oceanus before we leave..."

"That would be a solid test of trust, wouldn't it?" Alex thought. "I'll be monitoring that."

"So will Ran and Frigg," Agatha said. "I likely won't be there, though."

"You should," Coeus said. "because that will show off how strong we are around you."

"Hera, I like that idea," Alex said. She looked at him with a raised brow. "They want to impress me. If they can pull that off in front of you, it will work."

"And Oceanus agrees," the King said now. "We will swap clothes the moment I resettle in my room with Frigg. We'll learn to trust each other's scent. Just have the drones ready to pull us apart if shit happens. It's the most I can suggest."

"Or just know that I'll be glaring at you both," Alex said with a small growl. That made Coeus clear his throat and nod respectfully. "Don't piss me off. That's the last fucking thing you want to do. Anyways, what ideas do you have about future takeovers?"

"I will admit that I've been studying what Osiris has been sending out about the European base," Coeus smirked and leaned on the table. "If the base is truly taken over, there may be no need to send in a Hunter. Even the one in Egypt wouldn't be needed. We can reserve them to send them out in unclaimed cities. Then we send ourselves out to kill them. We can show that we are new 'protectors' against such threats. Almost like natural selection."

"Hmm..." Alex mused.

"Like what you did for the Russian base, we can do this to various cities," he grinned. "Send me a few maps. I'll go over them with Hermanubis. We'll plant Hunters wherever we need them and let them go when ready."

"Your idea has my interest," Alex grinned. "Continue."

For the next hour, various plots were suggested, agreed on, and dismissed. Even Agatha made a few suggestions for prime spot locations. They did think that a Hunter on the Statue of Liberty would look rather awesome. When Coeus was contacted by Frigg, he showed he was ready to go. He did take a platter of cheese and sweet meats. Ran was boasting about how good they were, and he wanted to spoil Frigg with them.

"What do you think?" Agatha asked after her son left the room.

"Both Kings could work together. But, only if they prove that they can't kill each other. Anyways, you need to lie down. I want to lie down with you," Alex said. She was still in his lap, and he simply got up with her in his arms. With the path cleared away for them, he was quick to do what he wanted with her. He could only see what would happen if the two Kings met. The most he could hope for was that they left the base without him trying to kill them.


	101. Chapter 101

The time finally came for the two Kings to leave. Ran and Frigg were able to leave a set of breeder eggs behind. A set of their drones were going to be left, too. As much as the hive mind was fully whole, it seemed that only direct offspring from the Queens held the best connection to them. As it usually should. They were relied on as emergency communication. Each distinct breeder and drone set had their own set of looks, as well, but the drones all had the same look and attacks as the originals. It was only the hair and skin that changed about them.

Agatha was able to give birth, too, and Alex escorted her to the submarine loading deck. For the past six hours, Oceanus and Coeus were forcing themselves to tolerate the scent of each other. When it got to the point that they could take the scented clothing out of the closed containers without snarling at it, they knew it was time. It took a solid four hours of constant scenting and reminding that the other King was an ally for this goal to be achieved.

Alex carefully watched with Agatha on his arm. Frigg and Ran were able to rush to each other and hug tightly. This would likely be the last time they got to see each other for a long while. They did have lunch with their parents, though. That was definitely needed. Fumio and Frankie waited off to the side to see how the meeting with the Kings would go. They would protect their Queens if something went wrong.

"I'll miss you," Ran sighed.

"I know. I'm sure the video chat would be up, though," Frigg smiled. "We can talk through there and the link. Rhea can't wait to see us on live video, too."

"It will be something we will need to do," Ran agreed. When Oceanus walked in first, Frigg was amazed at how he looked. This was her first time seeing him. He simply nodded to her, walked over to Ran, and pressed a kiss on her temple gently. When Coeus appeared, Ran smiled and nodded. He nodded back, made his way to Frigg quickly, and pulled her close to kiss.

"So far so good," Alex muttered.

"I know," Agatha nodded. Only after the Kings were with their respective Queens did they finally look at each other.

"Coeus," Oceanus said.

"Oceanus," Coeus said in kind. The want to challenge the other was there, but they knew that they were allies. _And they knew that their Emperor was watching them._

"I look forward to working with you," Oceanus said lightly.

"The very same," Coeus nodded. "The video uplinks are available now."

"We can make use of them when we are settled," the other King nodded back. _Now was the test of trust._ They both walked over to each other and seemed to pause. At being in such a close proximity to the other, it started to affect them. Like two stallions wanting to bite and kick at each other for dominance, they were forcing the instinctive need to fight to get squashed down. They wanted to impress Alex and prove that this could be done.  _It was even worse with the Empress in the room, but this would also impress her._  That thought also helped.

"No others are here to see?" Agatha whispered to her mate.

"No. I forbade it," Alex grunted. "I didn't want any bullshitting to happen while this was being done. That's the last fucking thing we needed. They have enough stress going on. I don't want Dionysus or Hermes in the background trying to egg them on. I know they likely wouldn't, but this is a precaution."

"I see," she murmured. She watched her sons fight and win over the instinct to attack each other. They managed to carefully reach out and shake the other's hand in mutual equality. Now that they proved that this small act of trust could be done, the instinct to kill the other began to fade. Alex knew that, in due time, each King would need to shake the hand of the other.  _Likely in small shifts and various rooms. This would be important._

"Good," Alex nodded and walked over with Agatha. "Your bases are ready. The moment you both leave, I will be heading to Europe. We need to get the piece of your mother back to her. I want you both to start having drones infiltrate various areas the moment they are able to leave the bases. Go. And remember this. I am  _always_  watching the hive link now. Don't piss me off. Don't fuck up. And, most importantly, don't fuck with me."

"Yes, my Emperor," they both said.

"And remember this, too," Alex said with a warning glare. "No one visits your mother while I'm gone. Nick will slaughter you. I can also appear through that drone. So, Nick is me. Stick with your Queens. It's safer that way. Now get going. There's a lot of shit that needs to get done. We don't need to waste any more time."

They both nodded and were quick to board the two waiting submarines. The dock was expanded to hold up to three submarines for quicker stock and hive member transfers. At the latest box of puzzle shipments that began to get opened up, Alex was quick to take his mate back to their room to help her start up a new puzzle. In the lab, Claudia was getting the last inspection checks from Ragland. She was quarantined in a room for a bit to ensure her health. They didn't want her roaming the base with two Kings around.

"You are also a scientist?" Ragland asked after she finally got her injection of Agatha's blood. Hedeyasu was preparing another batch of sperm for Alex. It was going to be needed for Claudia to claim a breeder male.

"I am," she nodded. Then she blinked with surprise. Her English had improved drastically. "I can speak clearly!"

"Yes. Agatha's blood is able to let you do that," Ragland chuckled. "If you're hungry, feel free to go to the mess hall. The drones can show you where to go."

"I could use something. And I would like to help with your research," she nodded.

"Good! Another set of hands is always useful," he chuckled. When she left, Hariti walked over to her mate with a frown. "What is it, dear?"

"She likes our Emperor," Hariti muttered. "If she cannot kill that feeling, she will not live long at all. Mother wants us to keep her away from Alex. And from her, too."

"I see. Well, if she gets a breeder..."

"That won't happen until our Emperor gets back. No breeder eggs were made yet," she frowned. "So, the drones will do what they can to keep Claudia doing other things."

"Good idea," Ragland sighed and nodded. As it was, Dionysus was going to speak to her now. Hermes was actually forbidden by Dana to see to Claudia. The woman brought about a strange vibe to her, and she insisted that Hermes steer clear for now.

"Dana, what's wrong?" Hermes asked.

"Well..." Dana worried her lips a little. "I feel that, with her, Claudia, that is, liking my brother, it makes me think that she would like you, too. You know? From all the talk you've been telling me, and from what I've been hearing, I just...I know you're mine. It's just..."

"I think I understand," Hermes said gently and rocked her. Sif was playing with a new puzzle that was given to her and neatly entertained. It gave them a much needed break for this discussion. "Because she has thoughts of being with my Emperor, you think that she may gain thoughts to be with me. It's fine. I'll stay here with you. Loki won't chance going to her, though. He resembles my Emperor far too much. That and, well, Dionysus is going to chance talking to her. If anything does happen, she'll be answering to Athena."

"I don't think that anyone that likes my brother should have a chance at being here," Dana muttered. "It's causing too much stress all around."

"That it is," he sighed and kissed her forehead. "If she tries to be with me, I'll kill her."

"Please do," she whispered. He looked at her and continued to hold her.  _My bond with her Is cemented and harder than diamonds. It would take more than a petty human to break it._  Even Dionysus actually had doubts about the new woman. It was rare for him to have such doubts. Alex was even surprised at the thoughts he heard in the link.

"It looks like Claudia may be more than we thought," Alex muttered.

"That woman?" Agatha asked with a small growl.

"She's sending...weird vibes to everyone. I'm going to talk to her. Agatha, no. Don't even think of coming with me!" he warned. "My heart is yours. Only yours. She just got a shot of your blood. If she pisses me off, I will kill her."

"I don't want you to meet with her," she winced.

"Hera," he said in that warm, rough tone that she loved to hear. He ran his hand over her cheek to have her look at him. "You are my heart, Hera. My reason for living now. I fight and kill for you. If that human pisses me off even once, she's done. I vow it."

"Don't let her near Robert, either," she whispered.

"I don't think his kids would let him try to even get close to her," he smirked. She smiled, and he kissed her passionately. "Let me talk to her. I'll have Aden and Kim with me. Nick will stay here. Robin will guard the door. Eddie will guard the freezer door. After I find out what that woman wants to really do, I'll leave for Europe."

"You'll come back to me first, though?"

"You know it," he smiled, kissed her again, and let Nick move over to comfort her.

"I'd feel better if you were with him," she admitted.

"My Empress, I have to stay here with you," it chuckled. "Who else would be able to send him the screams to get his ass back here to you?"

That got her to laugh, and Nick kissed her forehead before gesturing to the new puzzle. It was a beautiful waterfall portrait that she was dying to put together to frame up. She was going to want to visit such places, too. It would be ensured after their exposure was done. Once her mind was absorbed in the puzzle, Alex called Aden and Kim to his side. Now that he had his escort, he was ready to face Claudia.

"I'm going with you," Dionysus muttered when he appeared.

"Fine. And there's Apollo," Alex nodded.

"She'll die if she says the wrong thing," Apollo growled. "Dana doesn't want Hermes to go anywhere. He's sticking with her."

"I heard that in the link. As for the woman dying, that's fine," Alex shrugged. They walked into the mess hall to see her finishing off a plate of broiled fish. At the sight of them, she waved and continued to eat. It was when they sat at her table that she looked up to realize that something was wrong.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked softly. Her plate of food was clearly forgotten.

"Not really," Alex said mildly. "But, an issue has appeared."

"What issue?" she asked. The two drones stood silently behind their Emperor.

"Tell me," Dionysus said lightly. "Do you like our Emperor? Him?"

He gestured to Alex, and she blinked at the question. The breeders could never say his name. To do that would show disrespect. At her light look of fluster, Apollo said, "Just answer our question. Do this truthfully. It's important."

"Oh! Well...I do find him attractive, but I know he is married," she shrugged. "I understand that another will be ready for me in time. I do wish that I had a bond much like what he has with his wife. I hope to achieve that."

"And you will," Dionysus nodded. "But, you have to curb your likeness for him. It's upsetting our Empress. His wife, as you put it. She was ready to kill you."

"I...oh..." Claudia swallowed.

"I have to leave again," Alex said in a low growl. "If you value your life, you will go nowhere near Agatha. She will be kept from you, too. Just do what small chores we give you. When I return, we will see about having you achieve the goal you wish with a male. It may be a day or two. I would have seen to you getting your male sooner, but the proper requirements for it to be done were gone. We ran out of a special ingredient. More is being made."

"I could help with this?" she asked.

"Maybe. It's, oh, pretty much sperm being made viable with his DNA genetics," Dionysus chuckled. "Best leave that to Ragland. He knows what to do."

"That is fine. I can wait a bit longer," Claudia said. "I don't want to cause problems."

"You did cause a problem by liking me," Alex glowered a bit. "It's causing too much of a hassle, and many want to kill you. You have to kill the thoughts. If you don't, you won't survive through the rest of the day."

"I will kill them as of now," she nodded. She wanted to live. She also knew that she would attain her goal of gaining someone that would give her the proper bond she wanted. With this verified, she would hold no more ill towards anyone.

"I'll continue to talk to her," Dionysus said happily.  _The weird vibe was gone now. She saved her own life._  Alex nodded and let his drones follow him. The two breeder males would gladly talk to Claudia a bit more in depth of what to expect. She may even get introduced to Sakuma and Amaterasu to show how intense of a bond she would receive with her destined male. That would help her even further.

"She killed her thoughts about me," Alex said when he saw Agatha again.

"I'm relieved," she smiled. He pulled her close to hug her and kiss her heavily.

"There is something I may want to do after your pieces are found. She sort of...gave me the idea," he said with a small grin.

"What was that?" she asked now.

"She called you my wife. Yes, we're mated, but, eh..."

"Are you saying that you want to marry me?" Agatha asked with a raised brow.

"Not now. But, maybe a ceremony would be nice."

"A wedding is a waste of resources and time," she scowled softly. That got him laughing. "Also, Robert may end up a touch jealous. You want me to be your wife? Fine. I'll wear the largest diamond ring you can get me. But no ceremonies. No papers. I'll just wear a trinket from you, and I'll agree to say that you are my husband. But only in dire situations. I think of Robert as just under you in equality. We owe him everything."

"I know," he nodded. "And you're right. But...you wouldn't want Robert to be the best man? I'm sure he could pull that off."

"Zeus. No," she said sternly. "It's enough."

"If you insist," he smirked.

"I do. Now go get my part so that it's one less thing to worry about," she smirked back. He laughed softly and kissed her lovingly.  _After this base, there would be one more left._  He couldn't wait to cross it off his list of shit to do.


	102. Chapter 102

It was a good six hours to reach the base near England. He passed the time easily with puzzles through Nick and strategizing with Osiris and Hermanubis. There was something that was bothering him, though. He kept feeling that something was still missing. _That even if I got the last piece after this base, that there was still something wrong._ It was a thought that started to plague him the moment he left.

Hermanubis was sitting across from him, since he was the one able to get a submarine to him. Sigyn was working with Isis in a mental chat over video relays. The breeder male sensed that something was going on. "My Emperor? Is everything all right?"

"Tell me," Alex sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Do you still get the feeling that, oh, something still isn't right?"

"Hmm?" Hermanubis frowned. "I don't think so. I'm not sure I fully understand what you're talking about. But, well...aren't we done after Egypt?"

"We should be. But, lately, I've been getting the feeling that we aren't done," he admitted. "That there's one more piece of a puzzle that's eluding me. There always is, if you think about it. One last fucking twist. It never fails."

"Weird," Hermanubis shrugged. "I don't feel anything like that."

"I figured you wouldn't. How much further do we have? I may be able to ask Osiris. I would in the link, but I don't want this to get to your mother. She's distracted, and I don't want her to worry about it. You know how she gets."

"I do. Ah, okay. We have another hour. Could be less, if we speed up."

"Speed up. The faster the better," Alex snorted.

"Should we go to Egypt right after?"

"No. It killed me to be away from Agatha for too long. I can't do that again. I mean...we could...not that she has puzzles to help. But..."

"I understand. I just feel that we should. Our drones have Egypt fully locked down, too. It would only be a quick pick up. Then we leave. Nothing major. They have been sending out false reports that everything is fine to any that ask. So, it wouldn't take long at all."

Alex sighed and closed his eyes to focus on his drone. Nick paused at the feel of its mind being poked at. The drone looked at Agatha and smiled softly.

"My Empress, how would you feel if my Liege wanted to get Egypt out of the way? Like he did with Russia and China? Would it be too much?" Nick asked carefully.

"What?!" she gaped. Now she focused on Alex.  _:You told me you couldn't do that again! That it hurt too much! Now you want to?:_

_:Hera, love, the bases are pretty much ours. Hermanubis was correct in reminding me of it. I just walk in, survey the base, and grab your piece. Then I leave. No bullshit. No hassles. We can do this. Yes, it will kill me. It_ always _kills me. There's no choice in that matter. But, the sooner it's done, it's done.:_ Alex said gently. He could feel her hurt and indecision of the choice at first. But, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense, and the feelings faded to full acceptance.  _Alex was right._

_:Okay. Just...be careful. I love you.:_ She sighed when she caved in.

_:And I love you, Hera. Build that nice puzzle of the waterfall and the dragon for me. Okay? I want to hang that one up in our room.:_ He chuckled. She found herself giving a mental laugh. He really did like that one.

_:No. I'll save that one for you to do with me when you come back.:_ She smiled. It was agreed on, and Alex was able to lightly drop the link with her.

"We are in the clear. What am I to expect when we get to the England base?" Alex asked. "Are there going to be any nasty surprises?"

"We can find out. We just got here," Hermanubis chuckled. "We were closer than I thought. Shall we?"

"Why not?" Alex smirked. The island they docked into had the base completely submerged beneath it. When he walked out onto the deck, Osiris and Isis were waiting for him. They looked rather pleased. "Report."

"Yes, my Emperor," Osiris chuckled. "Mother's piece is in a container being loaded up right now. All of the humans here are now drones."

"All of them?" Alex mused.

"They tried to kill us just a bit ago," Isis beamed. "Someone warned them that the bases were being destroyed and repurposed. So, the scientists here tried to plan a trap. Most of the soldiers here were drones, so it was easily thwarted. They simply went along with it until we gave the order to disarm everything."

"And I missed out on the fun?!" Hermanubis scowled. Osiris only chuckled at him.

"You're sure all of the humans are dead?" Alex asked.

"We scoured all through the base," Osiris shrugged.

"Have drones in front of every door and exit. I still think there's something here," Alex ordered. "And I want to see Agatha's piece."

"Right here," Isis said. A couple drones hefted the blue container up and opened it. He dipped his hand in to soothe and comfort the piece.

"Hmm..." Alex thought, as his hand got engulfed by it in the solution water. "Okay. I see. Yes, you're going home. Don't worry. No, no, you're safe now. Really? Now, that's interesting. Thank you."

"What did it say?" Osiris asked.

"There is a room here that's well hidden. In the lab. It told me how to get in. Think of it like a safe house. From what it knows, at least," Alex smirked. "My thoughts were correct."

"Where in the lab?" Hermanubis had to ask.

"Let's go find out," Alex grinned wickedly. He gave the piece another soft caress and let it get taken on board the submarine. The place looked like any other base he's been to. Clean, sterilized surroundings of white tile, glass windows, and various odd rooms were always a main staple. He moved swiftly to an elevator at the end of a long hallway to let it take him to the lab near the top of the base. When the elevator doors opened, he paused to study the room. The lab was filled with various chemicals and equipment that was needed for biological experiments. But, he ignored all that. He went to the back wall where it was oddly bare of any shelves or decorations. On reaching a small side panel built into a beam, he pried off the smooth, metal top to reveal a hidden switch.

"Clever fuckers," Osiris snorted.

"They can be," Alex muttered and flipped the switch. A whole wall section opened up to reveal a flight deck. The only vehicle stored there was missing. The outer wall was open and left that way like a forgotten garage to reveal the landscape below. "And gone."

"Likely left the moment word was hit," Isis frowned.

"More shit to deal with," Alex growled. He glanced around and saw a notebook on the ground. It looked like it was forgotten in haste. On opening it, he read the hand-written notes.  _It was a log book._ And what he read completely pissed him off. "This fucker took a part of Agatha with him!"

"What?!" Osiris gaped.

"Does it say a destination?" Isis asked.

"I don't fucking know!" Alex snarled and tossed the book at her. He was completely livid. "Figure it out! Have Aten at the fucking radio listening to anything he can!"

"Hemsut will watch video feeds," Isis nodded.

"The drones will let us know if anything is found," Osiris mumbled.

"He could have gone anywhere! He could have...wait..." Alex blinked at a wall map. There was a dart on a very specific location in Egypt. _One that was very familiar._ "Never mind. I know where he's going. Good thing we're heading to Egypt, after all."

"Really now?" Hermanubis grinned wickedly.

"He will be apprehended, if he shows up," Osiris nodded.

"This base is ours. We'll have a King and Queen take residence here when they're ready. Let's go to Egypt. We can't waste any more time."

"Yes, my Emperor," the four of them said and followed him to the submarine. Now Alex had to wonder how much of Agatha's piece was taken. Then a thought hit him, and he grunted.  _It would suck if they tried to merge various pieces of Agatha together. That would not bode well for anyone. Least of all Agatha._

With that in his mind, he did the next thing he could do. When they were in transit to Egypt, he had Osiris sit with him.

"I need to ask you something. Keep your thoughts out of the link," Alex warned. "I don't want to piss off your mother any more than I have to."

"Go ahead," Osiris nodded.

"I've been getting the sensation that shit isn't done," he sighed. "That something is missing. I can't grasp it."

"Maybe it's this situation with the missing scientist?"

"No. It's something else. I've been pouring through Leopold's memories. Thomas's memories. The memories of every fucking scientist that's been consumed. I'm coming up with nothing. I have no idea why I keep feeling that something is still wrong."

"We can apprehend that scientist that fled and have him consumed. He obviously knows something, if he left with a piece of Mother," Osiris said.

"I want one of my drones to do it, though," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if what I thought was missing would be revealed after Agatha is made whole."

"That would be the case," the breeder male sighed. "Always has to be a nasty fucking surprise at the end, right?"

"My thoughts exactly," Alex snorted. "I wouldn't put it past these lowlife fucks, either."

"Humans can be surprising," Osiris grinned.

"Better off having them garnished with parsley and roasting on a spit."

"With an apple in their mouth?"

"Some of them," Alex grinned.

"You know, I heard an awesome joke, since we're on the topic of cooking," Osiris grinned. "It's about how they would castrate the losing bull after a bullfight to cook up the delicacy for guests. Though, when a second dish was ordered the next day, the guests commented on why the castrated part seemed to look smaller after being cooked. The reply was that, well, sometimes the bull doesn't always lose."

"That...is gross...and fucking hilarious!" Alex laughed and shook his head. "You're a fucking pervert! It does give me an idea about certain spare parts in the meat locker now."

"Better than a bag of nuts?" Osiris laughed.

"I think I got them pretty good with that. But, in all seriousness, what do you think about something still missing? I want to know your thoughts."

"In all honesty," Osiris thought. "you may be right. Your intuition has never steered us wrong before. We'll just have to be on a lookout. I could talk to Hypnos. He may have some ideas. He also discovered that a King can have a private chat with any in the link. We broadcast our thoughts. Kings and Queens don't have to. You and Mother don't need to broadcast your thoughts, either. You could talk to him right now, just make sure the thoughts are closed off."

"Really? Hmm..." Alex thought and gestured for Osiris to wait. He focused on Hypnos.

_:My Emperor?:_ Hypnos responded.

_:Private talk. You and me. Nothing gets sent out.:_ Alex said sternly.

_:Go on.:_ The King nodded mentally. Alex explained his issue carefully to make sure the young King got everything. On thinking now, Hypnos gave a grim sensation.  _:My Emperor, if something does seem to be wrong, then you could be on to something. I would suggest to learn what you can when you catch that scientist. None of Mother's parts should have been removed. He took it for a reason. I'll research more with the drones at the base in Egypt. Also, you may want to ask Osiris how to get into the Egypt base. It may prove a touch troublesome.:_

At this, Alex looked at Osiris and asked, "How do we get into the Egyptian base?"

"Ah...shit..." the breeder male grimaced. "They built it in the desert. In the center of an old gravesite to make it look like another tomb. We would have to fly there."

"I want Agatha's piece transferred to another submarine and sent back to the main base. Just keep it locked away until I get back. As much as I want to bring it home, I don't want it to be discovered on this submarine. I'm sure Agatha would understand. As long as I am with her to bring her to her piece, it should be fine. Since I rescued that part of her, I secured myself, in a manner of speaking. As for getting us to this base, have an aircraft ready for us now. With transport to it. That shouldn't be too hard, right?" he asked.

"No. That's easy," Osiris nodded. "I would have had all of this ready..."

"I know. I wasn't expecting to go right after Egypt, either," Alex sighed. Osiris only nodded with complete understanding. Now that he focused on various drones to get transportation ready, Alex let his mind slip back to Nick. He wanted to help his mate with a puzzle. It would ease the stress and help distract him away from the time it took to get there.


	103. Chapter 103

When they reached Egypt a few hours later, several drones were disguised as local soldiers in a vehicle and waiting for them. The heat was intense, but nothing Alex or the others couldn't handle. They went through jungle humidity without breaking a sweat. They couldn't sweat, anyways. The moment Alex and the breeders left the submarine, it was sent to head back to the main base. Another would replace it. He was adamant on Agatha's piece getting back there for safety. He watched the submarine sink under the water. Right after that, he let the drones drive him off to the helicopter pad. He wanted to waste no time.

When they got to the airport, he was already in a soldier guise. Osiris and Isis were in their usual disguises. Hermanubis and Sigyn were also set up and ready to go. As they finally got out of the vehicle, Osiris was ready to lead him to the helicopter. But, there was a problem.

"What the fuck is going on?" Alex muttered to him at the sight of a small crowd.

"Hmm," Osiris thought. "Reporters."

"For what?" he growled.

"Mild protest rights for fair pay. It's what the drones are telling me. Been going on for a while now. Let's hurry," Osiris muttered out quickly. When they walked up to the waiting helipad, several reporters saw them and began to make their way over. Alex was not amused. Just when he was about to get upset, Agatha reached him. When she found out what was going on, she mentioned something that made him grin.  _It was perfect._

"Osiris," Alex mused. "do we still have a giant Hunter nearby?"

"Hmm..." Osiris frowned in thought.

"We do," Hermanubis said quickly. "It wasn't moved yet. Just on standby."

"They want a story? Fucking give them one. Set the bastard loose in Cairo," Alex grinned wickedly. "Maybe, if we get back, we'll kill it off."

"That's going to get very messy," Sigyn chuckled.

"The fuckers want something to talk about. Give them something," Alex shrugged.

"Won't that expose us?" Osiris asked.

"At this point, I don't fucking care," he snorted. "This is our last stop. That I know of, anyways. Set the fucker loose. And make sure the area is crowded."

"Done," Hermanubis nodded. The reporters made it to them, though, and Osiris was forced to decline any commentary by stating they were visiting from the United States as a routine inspection. Various soldier drones now moved to keep the reporters back. When they tried to break through, he further threatened them by informing them all that they had better business elsewhere. Ten minutes later, at the calls from their bosses to get over to the capitol for a better scoop, they were left alone.

"Good. Let's get the fuck out of here!" Alex snarled. When they opened the helicopter door, it was to a surprise.  _A reporter was actually hiding in it._

" _I'm from the Cairo press! I demand some answers!_ " the man said in his native Egyptian tongue. " _What are you American soldiers doing here?!_ "

"Hmm?" Alex frowned. He was pretending to not understand him. Hermanubis grinned and played as translator.

"He wants to know why we're here," the breeder male said.

"He wants to know? Fuck it. Bring him," Alex grinned wickedly.

"Seriously?" Osiris smirked.

"We'll want to shove something out of the helicopter if it gets too heavy," Alex grinned a bit wider. Sigyn started laughing. Isis pursed her lips together to keep quiet.

"We are here to survey a top secret military lab. If you want the story of a lifetime, come with us. Just remember! We are not responsible for your death," Osiris growled in Commander John's guise. "Stay out of the way and observe. It's all you have to do."

Hermanubis explained this to the man, and his jaw dropped at the rare opportunity he was given. He readily agreed to everything, despite the risks. He was hoping for a promotion.

"Don't let him talk to me," Alex mumbled to Osiris. The breeder male nodded and told the reporter what was expected. When he started to interrogate them, Alex made himself appear to be in a deep sleep. It kept the breeders happy by feeding the man bullshit lies and excuses.  _Humans would believe anything if there was enough so-called proof. The way the man ate up how the American government was experimenting with alien DNA was definitely cutting it close to the truth, but it caught the man's interest completely._

"In fact, you may never even know if there was one of these experiments right next to you," Osiris said smoothly. "They blend in that well with humanity."

" _You must be joking!_ " the report paled after hearing the translation from Hermanubis.

" _Oh, no. It is quite true,_ " Isis smiled in her Egyptian talk. Osiris chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders casually. This showed that his assistant was the main translator. It worked like a charm, and showed that the reporter couldn't try to weasel his way out with two people translating to the powerful man.

" _We have been monitoring this for some time,_ " Hermanubis shrugged. " _We are going to a base right now, as you know._ "

" _Why does he sleep?_ " the reporter asked with a thumb jerked at Alex.

" _He hardly rests anymore. He is the one that kills off the abominations that gets out of control. Speaking of which, there was one reported to be in Cairo now,_ " Sigyn frowned. " _He has his work cut out for him._ "

" _What?! I should be there! But, well..._ " the reporter fretted.

"If you want to see where it came from and have the full story..." Osiris baited. Hook, line, and sinker. The reporter's eyes lit up from what Isis told him.

" _Sir, we are in the air now. You do not need to hide the fact that you can understand him,_ " Isis chuckled. Osiris nodded, and the reporter's jaw dropped.

" _True. I speak a vast variety of languages. It does help with meetings,_ " Osiris smiled.

" _Anyways, do you have any family?_ " Isis asked now.

" _I can see how it can be helpful,_ " the man sighed. Now he knew that he couldn't try to lie with any of them. He was impressed at how skilled American soldiers could be. At the directed question at himself, he paused at first.  _It was best to answer them._ " _Me? Oh. A sister. She is all I have left. I was always one to work hard to support her._ "

" _You have no other means for funding?_ " Osiris asked. The man seemed to sigh, and Alex mused to himself with his eyes still closed.

" _I'm, actually, quite new at this. I've been doing this for only two months,_ " the man seemed to blush and shrug at his admittance. Isis studied him now. Of course, he wore a traditional reporter's dark blue suit of a jacket, tie, slacks, and white undershirt. The band he wore around his neck neatly hung his reporter badges with a touch of pride. He lacked the hat, though, and it exposed his straight, shoulder-length black hair. His skin was perfectly tanned from the sun, but his build seemed a touch weak and feeble. His eyes were an alert dark brown, and his nose sloped slightly downwards as most Egyptians had.

" _That brings me to another question,_ " Osiris said with a low growl. " _How did you get on my helicopter? And answer truthfully, or I'll shove you out with no parachute._ "

"I'll do that for him," Alex mumbled, as though in sleep. Sigyn cleared her throat from a small laugh. Hermanubis grinned.

" _Ah..._ " the man cringed. " _I...found a spare suit and dressed up in it..._ "

" _So, you deliberately impersonated as a soldier?_ " Osiris asked with a raised brow. " _That's one way to get a job done. You seem very resourceful..._ "

" _I will do what I can if I have to get the job done!_ " the man said. Then he blinked when Hermanubis reached over to grab his badges to pull them over. The man found himself leaning with the tug.

" _Fadil Totah. Nice to make your acquaintance,_ " Hermanubis said and released them. " _Tell me, if you had a chance to, oh, make a lot of money...would you do it?_ "

" _Well, it would depend..._ " Fadil started.

" _We could use you as a part of our experiment. Your resourcefulness could be quite useful,_ " Osiris grinned. " _We could even include your sister, too._ "

" _No! Leave her out of this! I beg you!_ " he cringed. " _Do whatever you want to me, but don't touch her!_ "

" _If that was the case, you would be declaring yourself as dead. You would never get to see her again,_ " Osiris frowned. Fadil seemed to tremble. He didn't want to lose his sister.

"Much like Sakuma," Alex mumbled lightly. Osiris glanced over and focused on Amaterasu. When the connection was established, he explained the situation.

_:He is protecting a loved one. We should honor his choice.:_ Amaterasu said.  _:We have done such for others. It should be no different.:_

_:He refuses to leave her. He is very resourceful.:_ Osiris sighed.  _:We could use him.:_

_:We could, but we should respect his wish to leave his family unharmed.:_ She gave a mental frown.  _:We are not always so lenient.:_

_:We should allow him to contact her one last time. Let him show panic in his tone. Then, while she is on the phone with him, have another mention where they are going. If she is brave, she will want to follow him.:_ This was Agatha talking.

_:Love.:_ Alex said with a chuckle.  _:You always know how to make things work.:_

_:Think you're rubbing off on me?:_  She giggled. When the two went silent, the hive link knew they were in their own private talk.

_:We shall do as Mother suggests.:_ Apollo chimed in. At the mutual agreements, Osiris cleared his throat and seemed to frown.

" _Fadil, when you see this base, you will have to make a permanent decision. If you decide not to join us, then you will have to be killed. But, that's if we reach our destination. You will be seeing far too much. If you don't want to die, as of right now while we are still in the air, then we shall drop you off and part ways. We will be lenient with you,_ " he said. " _You have five minutes to make your choice before we lose the opportunity to land._ "

" _I...um...wow...ah..._ " the man paled. " _but..._ "

" _You will be leaving the world you knew behind,_ " Isis said gently. " _There are others that have joined us. None have regretted their decision to join, either. But, it's your choice. If you decide that this isn't for you, then we will drop you off now. If you agree, then we will let you see this new base. Also, like we said, you would be leaving this world behind completely._ "

" _It's...almost too much,_ " Fadil admitted. " _But, times have been tough. My sister...would be compensated for me? I don't even know why I'm talking about this!_ "

" _Because you know that we know about her now,_ " Alex finally said when he opened his eyes to glare at him. For some reason, Fadil felt true fear pierce through him. He didn't know that Alex could speak Egyptian, too. That frightened him. " _So...decide. Join us? Or not join us? Your window of opportunity is slipping away._ "

" _Your sister will be compensated, and we will let you contact her once more before your 'disappearance'. It is the most we can do,_ " Osiris nodded.

" _She has been getting rather demanding, lately,_ " Fadil sighed. " _I...honestly don't know what she does when I am not there now._ "

" _Troublesome?_ " Sigyn asked.

" _Join us, and we will look into her situation for you,_ " Alex said.

" _I thought...he was your superior?_ " Fadil blinked at Osiris. That had Alex crack a grin, and he simply dropped the soldier guise. The human turned completely white with absolute fear. He had every reason to fear this one. His suspicions were true. Alex continued to recline where he was, but he had his arms crossed over his chest.

" _Your time limit is up. I am Project Zeus. The Blacklight Virus. You join us, you will live. You say no, I will kill you. Right now. What is your choice?_ " Alex said with a smirk.

" _I...brought this on myself..._ " Fadil trembled. " _Do what you will with me. But...as for my sister...she's my younger sister. Ever since our parents died in the building explosion, I vowed to care for her. By any means necessary. I did far worst things before..._ "

" _We will look into her welfare before compensating her. If you feel she deserves to be compensated, then we will. If not, we will let you decide. Her life is now in your hands,_ " Osiris nodded and dropped his disguise. When Sigyn and Isis did the same, the man feinted.

"Fucking lovely. Leave him alone. We will remind him of his new situation when we land," Alex muttered. He went back to talking to his mate. He would never get tired of talking to her, and she always entertained him to pass the rest of the time.


	104. Chapter 104

It took another hour of flight to get to where the desert tombs were. When the man came to, he thought he was dreaming. When he realized he wasn't, he resigned himself to his new fate. He agreed to join them. Osiris and Hermanubis were able to tell him about themselves and of the hive he would be placed in. At the mention of a possible female to suit his subconscious desires, the man was skeptical.

" _A woman of my own formed from my perfect subconscious thoughts?! Impossible!_ " Fadil snorted. " _Never could happen!_ "

" _You'll see when it happens,_ " Sigyn smiled.

"Enough. I don't want him in the base. If he's joining us, fine. Let him wait in the helicopter. Keep the drones in the cockpit to watch him. If he fucks up once, he's done. There's no need for him to go in with us. Hmm. Okay. That fucker that ditched us in England showed up and got caught. This was done a few hours back. He's in the lab and bound up. I'll talk to him when we get there," Alex snorted when he came aware.

"Yes, my Emperor," Osiris nodded. After the helicopter landed, Alex hopped out and glared at the reporter. Osiris cleared his throat and said, " _Change of plans, Fadil. You stay here. Since you are joining us, there is no need to risk your life. Don't try to follow us. The drones will strap you down, if they must._ "

" _Oh. Very well,_ " the man winced slightly. Alex grumbled lightly and walked to the center of the old cemetery. Most of the rocks were actually tombstones, but time and blowing sand stripped off most of the writing. Gleaning over what memories the drones sent him, he kicked over a cleverly hidden lever to reveal the entrance. An elevator shaft appeared, and he went down with the breeders. The base was located six hundred feet below the surface, but the elevator was swift. At the sight of clean, sterilized steel floors and walls, he smirked.

"Agatha's parts. I want them. Now," he growled out. His orders were obeyed without any further delays. At the sight of the larger piece that was confiscated here, he smiled and dipped his hand into the solution to comfort it gently. "Yes. I'm here. You're going home."

"My Emperor, I'm sorry to disturb you," Isis said when she walked over. "but...the piece that was brought over from England..."

"What's wrong with it?" he asked.

"You need to see for yourself," she swallowed. He nodded, gave a final caress to the larger piece, and removed his hand. The drones stayed in the base with it. It was far too hot to have the precious part moved into the helicopter. He followed Isis to the main lab. It was here that the man from England was tied down. Next to him was a small, compact stasis tube that was designed for long-distance traveling. The tube was, surprisingly, crystal clear with solution for easy viewing. The small piece of Agatha he left with had a drastic change done. He managed to make it into a living fetus.

Alex glared at the thin, brown-haired man with complete outrage. This did not bode well at all, and he knew what would happen if Agatha saw it. The man was glancing away with light green eyes. He was trembling with his own form of fear.

"The fuck is this?!" Alex seethed. "What the fuck did you do?!"

"Mother's going to kill it. Isn't she?" Hermanubis frowned.

"My Emperor..." Osiris said slowly. "that is no longer Mother. It's her DNA, but they completely altered it. Think of another Lynette."

"Yeah. It's fucked," Alex snorted.

"No! You can't do that!" the man finally grounded out. "I spent countless hours and three years making it! What gives you the God-given right to make this decision?!"

"I am Alex Mercer. Project Zeus. The Blacklight Virus," he snarled out. "Project Hera is my mate. That's her flesh and DNA that you played with. I won't be killing it. She'll be the one doing that. You stole from her, and she wants it back. I am simply here to collect what is missing. She's reclaiming stolen property."

"What are you talking about?! That's bloody nonsense! Project Hera was a baby stage! There was no advancement. All we got were a few cultured cells and various pieces to work with. We were told to make them grow and enhance them."

"Do you know who Leopold is?" Alex asked now.

"Yes. He was the one in the lead. He gave us the cells and tissue pieces."

"He's dead. I fucked him up when he made Project Hera to rape her."

"He...what?!"

"Yes. He was making a female for himself to fuck over and over again. He wasn't planning on sharing his discovery. Needless to say, he succeeded in making a viable female. Come to think of it, he was planning on cloning her to give over the clone for the public to use. He was planning to keep the original for himself. Interesting. Anyways, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here standing in front of you. She was made to kill me. Instead, I gained her favor to join me. She didn't want to be raped by a fat ass. I wouldn't have her do that, either. I care about her far too much to let another touch her, too."

"Amazing..." the scientist winced. "He did so much...and told none of us..."

"Nope!" Alex smirked. "He was a twisted, jealous fuck in the end. And he sterilized any outside guys that came to visit. As in, he wanted no men to make kids. Ever."

"But...my life's work..."

"Will be shot the fuck down," Alex shrugged. "Not my decision. Project Hera will make that call. And, yes, she can breed. These twisted fucks here are her kids."

"Hi," Hermanubis muttered. Sigyn smirked and got pulled close by her brother.

"My Emperor, what do we do now? What is the plan?" Osiris asked.

"Kill him. Take the fetus," Alex said bluntly.

"No! Please! Is there any other way?" the man asked.

"You ran from us. You knew your experiment was gonna die. This base is now mine. Every other soldier you saw here is a drone. Either mine, or theirs," Alex said while motioning to the breeders. "The Antarctic base is mine. The one in England is under my control, too. All of the other bases are destroyed. But, if you can convince me to let you live, it  _might_  be possible. I do give one chance to any that want to join my cause. But, it's only one chance. You fuck up, you're dead. No second chances."

"Could I...return to my original base?" he asked hopefully.

"No. You would be coming home with me. Close monitoring. I have Doctor Ragland and another scientist, Hedeyasu Hamamoto, already there and assisting me. You would join up with them and contribute to my cause. If you decline right now, you're fucking dead," Alex warned.

"I..." the man seemed to mope. "What experiments would you have me do?"

"Randomized DNA testing on Hunters and other viral mutations," Osiris said calmly.

"Oh. That...doesn't sound too hard," the man blinked.

"No. For you, likely not. And, no, we won't let you create new genetic species. You would only work with current ones. But, I still don't like how you ditched us from England. If it wasn't for your logbook and the wall map, we'd be second-guessing where you were," Alex glared. "I still see you as a thief for taking what isn't yours."

"How was I supposed to know?!" the man argued.

"Do we tell Mother?" Sigyn asked.

"No. She'll get too pissed off. Nick won't be able to handle her. We have to wait," Alex sighed. Then he glared at the man and said, "Your name. What is it?"

"Charles Watterson," he said without any hesitation.

"Keep him bound up. Take him to the helicopter. Secure that abomination," Alex ordered. "I want to get back home. Were there any other survivors?"

"None. This base is a hundred percent hours," Isis nodded.

"Good. Let's move," he nodded back. When he got back, he knew that Meret would have given birth already. At that confirmation he got in the link that the birth already happened, he seemed to nod to himself.  _A new addition to the growing army. At least that went well._

As he passed by a small group of cages, he paused and glanced in them. Then his gaze hardened, as he called over Osiris to look.

"Animal experimentation," the breeder male said with disgust. "I sense Mother in them, too. They'll have to come back with us."

"What the fuck was this base doing?!" Alex snarled.

"Genetic research," Osiris muttered, as he gleaned the information from his drones. "They were trying to see if animals could become affected. Some did. Most didn't. But, a rare few did become the most affected."

"What was affected the most?" Alex asked. Osiris ran a hand over his face and gestured for him to follow. Three particular cages were here. One held a king cobra that seemed to morph into a tentacle and back. It was in a glass tank, though, and didn't recognize Alex at all. It had the same coloring as a strand of Agatha's hair, but the morphing was quickly done and back to normal. The snake didn't seem to have a full grasp on what was going on. It seemed to be fighting off the changes being done.

Another larger cage held a gray wolf that instinctively showed submission to Alex on scenting him by rolling over on its back. That alarmed him completely. It showed that Agatha's DNA was alive and able to control the animals.  _At least to an extent._  But, it was in the last one, built more like a stall, that had Alex caught by complete surprise. He was not expecting this particular animal at all.

"A horse?! They merged her with a fucking horse?!" he hissed. The mottled brown and white pinto seemed to ripple with new strength. The muscles were incredibly large in the legs for fast running speed and stamina. On seeing him, the horse nickered and moved to shove its muzzle into his chest. As he ran a hand over the nose, he paused.  _Her DNA recognized me._  He was quite sure that even the snake would sense him, too, if it was able to. The three animals he just saw were successfully merged with her DNA.

"Mother will have to extract her DNA from all of them," Osiris said.

"We'll need a Chinook," Alex said. The horse, a mare when he looked over the horse again, seemed to whine. Just by scratching under her chin, he could feel what she was thinking. It was Agatha's DNA reaching out to him again. He wasn't sensing the thoughts of the horse at all. He could only hear the thoughts from the DNA trapped within it. "I know. I see what they did to you. We will fix this. I don't know if this animal can be spared. We can try, okay? Oh? Okay. We'll figure something out."

"Mother wants to keep the horse?" Osiris smiled.

"The horse was dying. Her DNA saved it. This mare was hit by an oncoming car from careless ownership. The owner of the horse was killed instantly. Riding home is fine, but not in oncoming traffic. I think the guy was drunk off his ass. Anyways, Agatha may be able to filter out her DNA carefully. Like she did with Fumio. We'll have to see. I'm sure we have enough room in the livestock section for this mare."

"We do," Osiris agreed. "A Chinook is on its way here right now."

"Good. Find a spot that isn't used by locals to set up a submarine pickup for the animals. Not sure what will happen with the rats, mice, and other small shit. Not sure about that cobra, either. The wolf seems to know me, though. If it goes back to being wild, we may be able to release it. If it turns into a protective watchdog, we'll keep it around," he said. When he turned to leave, the mare nipped onto a sleeve to tug him back. "What, eh? Look, I have to go back. You will be brought to me. There is no room for you right now. What?! Oh, come on..."

"What does she want?" Osiris asked.

"Agatha's DNA will always be a bitch!" Alex snorted. "I have to wait for the Chinook. How far out is it? Do you know?"

"Can you wait an hour?" he smiled.

"Fuck me..." Alex sighed. The mare put her ears forward, and he rolled his eyes. "Yes, I will wait with you. I could wait at the submarine for you, too, you know. This way I can make sure you would be settled in comfortably."

At the way the ears went back, it was clearly a 'no'. Osiris found it completely amusing that his Emperor was arguing with a horse. Alex gave the breeder male a glance to start moving his ass. Osiris nodded and bit back a laugh when he turned around to do just that. He knew his Mother was very demanding. _Even as a DNA strain, it was always a proven fact._


	105. Chapter 105

If it wasn't for the puzzles, Agatha would have been a complete wreck. She missed Alex dearly. Nick was fast to put another unopened puzzle in front of her to distract her. The drone was also worried about the new fetus.  _Something felt off about it. Something was different._ Alex was right about something feeling off.

But, the drone felt that this wasn't all of it.  _That there was more. That it was part of a bigger picture._ Nick sighed and refocused on trying to fit a piece of the puzzle together. It finally got to be too much. It moved away from the puzzle to stand tall and think.

"Nick?" she asked and looked at the drone.

"I'm worried, my Empress," it admitted. She moved to rest her hands on Nick's shoulders. It turned to hug her tight.

"About what?"

"Something else was found. It's complicated. My Liege doesn't want me to say anything. He wants to show you when he gets here. Another three hours, and he will be back."

"Is Zeus that worried?"

"He is. There will be other things you need to do, too, when he gets back. Extractions, mainly. A couple new possible recruits. But...it's the other thing you will see. It really worries me. There's just something...wrong. All wrong about it."

"Then he should tell me," she frowned.

"You have enough stress on your shoulders from him not being here. Trust in him, my Empress. You know he does everything for you now."

"I know he does," she muttered and turned away from the drone. "I just don't understand why he won't tell me various things until it's in front of me!"

"Because I know you that well, Hera," Alex growled through his drone. She gasped and stiffened when she got pulled back to the drone's chest. "I want you to carry this stress with me. Not when you're alone. You are my equal, and I am yours. Yes, Nick was right about being worried. But, I refuse to let you worry about it until I am with you again. If there is a hurdle, we will leap over it together. Please, Hera. Trust in me. In my guidance. In everything I'm doing to ensure that all is well. I'll be with you soon. Do a couple more puzzles. The time will speed by. Everything will be over soon."

"And if it isn't, Zeus?" she whispered.

"Then I'll be with you the rest of the way," Alex vowed. They kissed long and fiercely now. At the way she started to respond, Alex groaned and pulled himself away from the drone. He hated blue-balling himself like that, but he had no choice.  _I can't let himself get too involved in Nick's mind. I might accidentally take over the important drone._  There were back-ups of the drone made, but he was playing it safe. He only wanted to pull such a stunt when there was no other choice.

He knew that the drone was pleasuring her now. _It helped distract her._ But, now he felt disgruntled. _I want to be the one with her._  Scowling to himself, he had to change his thoughts to something else. Getting up, he went to look at the fetus in the traveling tube. He was still very wary of it. Anything new he had to be wary of.

Charles was bound down and drugged to keep quiet. They got tired of him complaining that he had to tend to his experiment. It disgusted Alex completely.  _To them, Agatha would only be referred to as an experiment. Not another being. Not another form of intelligent life._  As much as he wanted to kill the human, he would let his mate decide that decision for him.

Sighing, he focused on the small fetus in the tube.  _It seemed to be growing slowly, but steadily. It almost reminds me of how Agatha grew. A month in a day._ The thought rankled.  _Nick felt that something was off. That something was different. There was nothing to be seen yet. I'll have Ragland take a look at it when we get back._

_:My Emperor?:_ Hypnos nudged to him. It was easy to tell who this King was by the deepened tone.  _:Is everything all right? I feel that something isn't right.:_

_:You feel it, too?:_ Alex snorted in the link. He allowed the King to see what he saw. Hypnos was completely appalled. He saw the fetus as an abomination.

_:Destroy it!:_ He demanded.  _:That thing should not live!:_

_:It has your Mother's DNA in it. She needs her DNA back. We have to let it grow so she can kill it off. Look into what happened before with Loki and Asteria. You will see why.:_ Alex muttered. A full ten minutes passed before Hypnos responded.

_:I see. I'd still kill it and let Mother take what she needs.:_ Hypnos frowned.

_:Nick feels that something is off about this, too. I want Ragland to study it and run some tests. It may be a clue as to why I feel as I do.:_

_:Ah. With something being missing and wrong. I understand, my Emperor. Would you mind if I monitored the situation?:_

_:Not at all! I would appreciate it. Do what you must.:_ Alex approved. _It would help to have an extra set of eyes on the issue.:_

_:May I get the other Kings involved?:_ He asked now.

_:Only if they understand not to get in the way. Perspectives are nice. Different thoughts and opinions are nice. There is no need to go into any major details with me. And DON'T take it as a way to get at the other Kings, either! That would piss me off and upset your mother!:_

_:I understand, my Emperor. You have my vow that I will do nothing to upset either of you.:_ Hypnos agreed.  _:I will speak with the other Kings now.:_

_:That reminds me. Did you get the scents from the other Kings yet?:_ Alex asked curiously.

_:I have. So have the others. Eir is helping me stay calm. It is very hard to work with, but the instinct will be overruled. It will take time.:_ Hypnos admitted.

_:Most things do.:_ He agreed. When the King went silent, Alex checked the time and swore.  _Not even twenty minutes went by._ Checking on Nick again, he found the drone working on a puzzle. Agatha was sleeping. Nick knew that his Emperor was bored. The drone decided to help out with that. Alex could only chuckle.

Time went by swiftly after that. The moment the submarine docked, the fetus and precious part were taken to the lab for evaluation. It was the same with the animals. Twenty minutes later, Nick was escorting Agatha to the submarine platform. It was just her luck that Charles and Fadil were there. The scientist had finally come out of the drugged haze he was in. The drones were going to monitor him constantly.

Fadil could only gape in shock at the stunning beauty in the white toga and jewels before him. Charles was just as speechless. Alex ignored them and walked up to her. When her hair came alive to encircle her mate tenderly, the humans were floored. Charles now knew that this was the true project.  _And that she could easily rip me apart._

"I missed you," she smiled.

"I missed you, too," he muttered and pulled her close to kiss lovingly. "I want you to see what I brought back. Then you can merge with your pieces."

"Okay," she nodded. "What about them?"

"The humans? For now, ignore them," he growled and kissed her again. "The bound up one is the scientist that stole a piece of you."

"I'll fuck him up!" she seethed, and her hair coiled up to strike.

"Not yet," he grinned and pulled her with him to walk away. "Come and look at what I brought first. Then make the judge."

"I already judged," she growled. He kept a hand in her hair to keep her calm.

"I'm already pent up with the need to fuck you. With you acting this way, it's making it worse," he grunted. Now she gave a blushing smile. "And that doesn't help, either!"

"You still like it," she winked.

"Bitch!" he hissed at the feel of her hand moving over his back.

"Maybe I'll touch below the belt again," she grinned, as they walked.

"I'll have you touch  _much_  more than that!" he spat out before bracing her against a wall to kiss her heavily. At the way she wrapped her legs around his hips, he groaned out, "Fuck, Hera! You know how badly I..."

"Zeus," she whispered and let him kiss her again. When he pulled away, he wrestled for control and won. She seemed to pout.

"After the lab," he vowed.

"I could conceal us," she grinned.

"No. If you're merging with pieces, then I don't want our eggs to fuck up. Come on. We're almost there," he said. She was not pleased at all.

"Fine," she sighed. He kissed her again to calm her down.

"I promise," he smiled gently. That got her to nod. "I really did miss you. I just want to get this done. I promised that it would be done. I want it done."

"I understand," she said seriously. When they got to the lab, Nick, Kim, Robin, Aden, and Eddie were already there. With the elite guard in place, Alex felt better. Ragland and Hedeyasu were already running careful tests on the fetus. When Agatha saw it, she shivered with hatred. She wanted to kill it.

"Wait," Alex muttered to her. He kept her hair calm with gentle touches. "Anything yet? Or still running tests?"

"We are still working," Hedeyasu said calmly. "About another hour."

"That's fine. How's Asuna?" he asked.

"'She's good! One of the soldiers we recruited from Japan agreed to bond with my daughter. I approve of him. He proved his worth to me before. Toshimichi's friend may be coming by tomorrow, too. He has contacted a submarine for transport. I also understand that two new ones are here?" Hedeyasu asked.

"Yes. They are at the submarine," Alex nodded.

"Good! I shall have Robert speak with them," he said. Alex nodded and took Agatha to the area where her pieces were stored. As much as he wanted to take her back to their bedroom, she needed her DNA back first. It was too important. Nick watched calmly with the other drones nearby. Agatha's hair was able to carefully coil around each piece one at a time to absorb them and consume. Gasping with a soft sigh of relief, she seemed to be far more radiant to gaze at now.  _She was nearly whole._ Alex judged that she was missing ten percent of herself.

"Very good, Hera," he smiled and kissed her. "Follow me again."

"Okay," she nodded. She felt much better now. As though there was less and less to worry about. He took her to see the animals, and she paused with a form of sad outrage. "They...put me in...why?!"

"To see if it could be done. Can you extract yourself out?" Alex asked gently. She seemed to tremble, but she took a deep breath for control. She went to the smaller lab animals first. Many of them were dying from the abuse they went through, so she offered them a quick and painless form of release. The stronger ones were able to be salvaged. All of them were going to be released, but the thought of pets seemed to appeal to many of the breeders.

"We'll need to get some supplies and cages," Agatha smiled.

"We can do that," Alex nodded. She looked at the cobra next, and the reptile paused at the tendril that approached it. A cold tongue flicked out to taste, and it seemed to go still. It was as though it knew a form of salvation was at hand. It let Agatha's tendril gently coil around its body and carefully pull the unknown DNA from it. After the extraction was done, it seemed to coil up to finally rest. The snake would likely be released back to the wild, and it was wheeled away in the tank to be monitored in the lab.

The wolf was next to be approached, and it whined with expectation. A soft yelp was given at the tendrils that coiled around it now. It went still when the DNA got pulled. A hearty beef steak in small cubes was ready to be fed to it to help it recover. The wolf, too, would be released back to the wild when it was well enough.

The mare was another matter completely. As Agatha studied the massive animal, she was frowning. "Zeus, I don't know if I can help her."

"Why?" he asked.

"She was near death. My DNA is keeping her alive. She's still healing. If I pull my DNA now, the horse will suffer. I can't do that to her," she fretted. She found an affinity for the beast. Even the horse felt a connection with her.

"Hmm. Can you heal the damage done with your DNA? Such as, a form of enhanced healing?" he asked. She thought about this, as she pet the mare's muzzle.

"It...might be possible..." she said and mulled the idea over. Then she whispered softly to the mare, "If I hurt you, I am sorry. I'll do what I can."

The horse nickered and snorted to show she was ready. Several drones appeared to help the horse, if she fell over. Agatha's tendrils moved to gently massage and move over the thick hide. Agatha was already cringing. She was going to have to drill into the hard muscle to extract what she needed and heal the damage.

"Take your time," Alex whispered to her. "I'm right here."

She nodded and took a deep breath to focus. The animal gave a small, sharp screech at the pain she felt, but she knew it was inevitable. Alex squeezed his mate to help her refocus. With his support, she was able to successfully find and fix all of the healing bones and organs back up. With that danger out of the way, her DNA was carefully extracted. Once it was done, the mare looked weary, but very relieved. Her muscle mass was normal again, but it would take a good week for her to be fully functional.

"She still needs to heal," Agatha sighed.

"Drones will help her around the clock. How do you feel?" he smiled.

"A lot better. A lot more relieved. As though I finally don't have to worry about you leaving my side," she muttered and let him kiss her.

"Never again after this," he smiled. "I want to see if those tests are done."

"Me, too," she nodded. He kissed her again and led her back to the lab. Their elite group followed, and he noticed that Nick seemed very upset.  _That was not a good sign._  And it was going to prove true. On reaching the lab, he sensed the silence there.  _Something was up._

"We have the results," Hedeyasu said. "Ragland will read them to us."

"That I will. I just got the print out," Ragland nodded. The entire hive link was focused in for this. The discovery made next was going to shock everyone to pieces.

"The verdict?" Alex asked. Ragland cleared his throat.

"You're not going to believe this," Ragland sighed, as he looked at the test results. "That fetus. The one you brought back. It's a male version of Agatha."


	106. Chapter 106

Time seemed to stand still at this news. Alex finally broke it by shouting, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! A male version?! Tell me you're fucking joking! You HAVE to be joking!"

"I wish I was," Ragland shrugged. "The tests never proved me wrong."

"Fucking son of a...!" he seethed. Agatha was just horrified by this. Then she turned to spin around and walk in the direction of the submarine. Alex hissed and bolted after her. She was actually faster than him now. Her becoming nearly whole seemed to have outclassed him, but only by so much. They were still equals. Fadil had been barred away from her at Alex's emergency warning in the link. The scientist wasn't so lucky. She hauled him into the air with her tendrils to glare at him coldly.

"The fetus. It's a male version of me," she said carefully. "Was that your intention?"

"What?! No!" Charles said quickly. "It never was!"

"Lies!" she snarled, and her hair tossed him against a wall. "Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not...lying..." he grimaced in pain. Her tendrils launched at him again, but Alex was in the way. She was incredibly pissed off now, and he rose up his hands. When the tendrils tried to get past him, he simply pet them to calm them down. He had to remain calm.  _My mate is highly pissed off. She wanted to kill the only human that had the answers._

"He said it wasn't his intention," Alex said gently. "As much as I want you to tear into him, we need to see his log book. It may have some clues. He may have made a miscalculation. It does happen. If there are no answers there, we will make him answer. We will find out."

"Take him over! Take his memories!" she snarled out. Instead, Alex moved up close to her swiftly and ran a thumb along her jaw before she could stop him.

"Didn't you miss me, Hera?" he grounded roughly. "I thought that bit in the hallway with you against the wall was proof of that. Don't you want to finish what you started?"

"Damn it, Zeus..." she whispered. "This isn't fair..."

"Payback for all the times you were a bitch," he grinned and nuzzled under her jaw. His scent finally got the better of her. "Let me fuck you, Hera. Don't tell me you don't want it..."

"Zeus...asshole..." she shivered, as her rage collapsed. He grinned wickedly at what she called him, but it still wasn't safe. To ensure her rage was gone, he nibbled along her neck to feel her shiver. Now that he knew she was under his complete control, he turned to glare at Eddie. The drone stood at attention.

"Take some blood. Have a drone do it. Learn the memories. Find out what the fuck happened. Now!" he ordered and scooped up his mate to take her quickly to the bedroom.

"He made...a boy...of me..." Agatha cringed.

"That thing will still die," he vowed and placed her on the bed.

"But...what if I can't kill it? What if I...pity it...or something...?" she whispered.

"If that thing tries to replace me," he said with a dark glare. "it's fucking dead."

She nodded to him, and he moved to rip off her toga and claim her with everything he had. Once their minds were preoccupied with each other, the breeder males there got together in a small meeting room. All of them looked very grim.

"A male version of Mother," Dionysus shuddered.

"And we can't fucking touch it," Loki growled.

"I'm just as confused as the rest of you," Osiris sighed. "What more can we do?"

"Watch it grow and kill it," Hermanubis grumbled. "I mean, our Emperor did say that he felt that something was wrong."

"That he did," Osiris nodded.

"He did?" Apollo frowned. "This is news to me."

"What is?" Robert asked when he walked in to sit with his sons.

"Our Emperor said that he felt that something was wrong. That something wasn't finished," Osiris said. "I think this was what he felt."

"A premonition?" Hermes asked.

"It seems like it. It's been confirmed that it's growing at the rate a Queen would. A month in a day. Same as Mother. Hariti said it's at two days now. We have a week of waiting left. She won't put it in an egg. No one wants it to gain anymore of Mother than needed," Osiris said. "I seconded the notion."

"Good," Dionysus nodded. "How is that guy, anyways? The one Mother tossed aside like a loose twig? He hit that wall pretty hard."

"She should have stripped the twig of leaves," Loki snorted in a pure Alex fashion. "And I mean the limbs. Maybe the berries, too."

"Ew," Hermes said with a wrinkled nose. Robert glanced at Loki with a raised brow. Loki shrugged back with a small grin. He may be Alex's son, but he was treated like Robert's kid all the same. They all looked over at a couple drones that came in with screens and satellite equipment. What they set up was a video chat line. When the screen turned on, it showed Hypnos. He was wearing his usual attire, but the colors were of a regal dark purple with flecks of gold in the thread. He pushed up his glasses slightly and regarded them.

"Good. It works," the King grinned. His deep voice even seemed to vibrate through the microphone he spoke through. That was a pleasant surprise to him. "The others should be here soon, too. We need to all speak at length about this."

"That we do," Osiris nodded. "Nice to meet you, Hypnos."

"Likewise," he nodded and sipped on a fluted glass of white wine. Eir moved over to kiss him gently and wave to the others. They all waved back cheerfully. Hypnos chuckled and sighed. "This situation now. It's bad."

"We know," Hermes said.

"Our Emperor feels threatened," Hypnos said carefully.

"This line is secure?" Hermanubis asked.

"Very. It's the same junk satellite," Osiris said. "I'm in complete control of it now."

"Okay," Hermanubis nodded. Several more screens were brought in and hooked up. When they were flicked on, Cronus, Coeus, and Oceanus were now in view. The Kings regarded each other evenly through the viewing screens. Cronus seemed to smirk at them, but he remained calm. The little incident he had with Alex before had definitely toned down much of his attitude to the others.

"Dad!" Rhea beamed when she looked over her mate's shoulder.

"Rhea!" Hermes smiled. "Good to see you, honey."

"I miss you," she frowned.

"I know. I miss you, too. I'll talk to you later, okay?" he chuckled. She nodded, and Cronus gave her a comforting kiss to make her feel better. When Cronus regarded the group again, Hermes growled out, "You had better be taking the best possible care of her. If you aren't, then I'll fucking kick your ass. King or not."

"You have my word that Rhea is everything and more to me," Cronus vowed. Hermes nodded and relaxed. Any specialized breeder male would be quick to defend their daughters. Hypnos respected this. Even Agatha would encourage it.

"I'm guessing that the topic of discussion is that fetus?" Coeus asked in his musical tone.

"Yep!" Dionysus grinned. He liked this King. They seemed to be almost alike in looks and temperament. "What do you all think?"

"Abomination..." Oceanus growled. "Kill it."

"Oh, we want to," Apollo nodded. "Our Emperor says no."

"Recall what happened with the last fetus," Robert said carefully. "Agatha took it in, and it tried to grow. Yes, she could take her DNA now, but the same thing might happen. Alex is being cautious. He doesn't want that to happen."

"And we won't waste an egg," Loki said.

"Good idea," Cronus said. "Were the animals safely extracted? Her DNA?"

"Yes. That's done. The horse is recovering," Apollo nodded. "We may keep some of the smaller animals as pets."

"I want one!" Frigg said in the background. Coeus chuckled and nodded to her. "A cute little hamster! I want one of those!"

"Yes, dearest. I'll see what I can do," Coeus promised.

"Is she a pain in the ass yet?" Loki grinned.

"No! Absolutely not! She is my divine little angel. Her needs will always come first. I promised her," the King smiled. Dionysus sighed and chuckled softly. Then Coeus said in a rather light tone, "Besides, when she's happy, I can get shit done. Case in point."

"What was that?" Frigg asked.

"Nothing, my love!" he said quickly. The males started to snicker. "Okay. So, she can be a bit...demanding at times. But, I knew it from the start."

"That you did," Hermes nodded.

"What do you all think of Fadil?" Osiris asked.

"We should look into his sister," Apollo said. "The moment he takes some of Mother's blood, it should be done without delay."

"Agreed..." Oceanus nodded. "And the scientist...?"

"The one that got tossed around by Mother," Dionysus sighed. "Ah. Hariti says he has a broken arm. Luckily, that's it. We won't give him Mother's blood until he's clear. I do wonder, though. If we put that fetus in an egg, will the growth enhance? I know that it is Mother's egg, but it's rather doubtful that it could gain any more strength. It was the same with that other fetus. The egg only helped it grow. It could be done."

"Hmm..." Cronus mused. "Less wait time?"

"Possibly," Osiris thought aloud. "But...why? Why do that?"

"We took that one fetus out of Mother, and it grew by leaps and bounds in an egg," Dionysus pointed out. "This one could do the same."

"No," Nick said when the drone walked in. Alex wanted the drone in on the meeting to voice out his concerns. "Our Empress is being impregnated right now. After they are birthed, we will have to wait until a fresh set of breeders are made by Robert, since Claudia needs a male. We also have Toshimichi's friend, Mamoru, coming in tomorrow. We cement them first. There is, also, Shinatobe and Benzaiten. They will be giving birth at any given time."

"Fuck..." Loki winced.

"It would be safer to wait with young Queens. We don't want them harmed," Hermes muttered. "And I  _refuse_  to let Sif come to harm."

"Exactly," Nick nodded. "Who knows what the fetus will try to do, if it grows and gains a form of power? It's a risk we can't take right now. It may be best to let it grow slowly."

"Besides," Hermanubis smirked. "if that thing tries to get past our Emperor, it's fucked."

"Very..." Oceanus grinned wickedly. He glanced up at Ran when she walked over to him to press a kiss to his lips and whisper. He sighed and nodded. "Be gentle, Fumio."

"I always am," the stud male chuckled.

"Studs. Gotta love 'em," Dionysus grinned.

"I know it," Robert nodded. "Because none of you would be here if it wasn't for me."

"We know," Hypnos smiled. "Not truly that way for us Kings, but we understand."

"That we do," Hermes nodded.

"So, we all need to decide," Robert said, as he leaned forward on the square-like table. "What is our new goal? What is the next plan?"

"We see what this fetus is all about. After that, we see to what our Emperor desires. It's all we can do," Hypnos shrugged.

"A fucking waiting game," Cronus snorted.

"Seven days, was it?" Coeus asked.

"Yep!" Dionysus nodded.

"We'll check in daily with report analysis notes," Hermes said. Nick crossed its arms and watched them all start to rise up, as screens were flicked off. Each main room was going to have a screen set up to speak with various Kings. Only this room would be set up as a full conference room. The drone was a bit pleased, though.  _The Kings were finally trying to establish each other without challenging gestures. They really had no choice._

"Father!" Osiris said when he walked over.

"Yes?" Robert smiled.

"I wanted to talk to you a bit," he said. "Something that I have to address."

"Go on," Robert said and sat back down.

"You can stay," Osiris said to Nick. The drone nodded and sat with them. "Father, when you were at that army base, to get your stuff, no one saw you. Right?"

"From what I know. Agatha's blood gave me the ability to camouflage," he nodded.

"It also went to your car," Osiris said with a small smile. Robert blinked. "I was able to acquire the footage of the day you went in. You went in after another car, and the patrol didn't see you. They were a bit stumped as to how their car port lever didn't go back down, either, until your car left the sensor range. Some say that they did see your car parked there, but only after you left it. No camera footage was caught of you going into your office, but they did notice that stuff started to disappear. Of course, I found out who saw what and took them out. But, I just wanted you to know. Your camouflage effect is very powerful. It's instinctive for you to use, though. You can't seem to be able to just use it at will. It's fine, though."

"I see..." Robert mused. "Did you all inherit it?"

"We did. As long as we don't consume anyone. However, a test does show that the gene can be isolated and implanted for a temporary use of up to one hour before it burns out," the breeder male grinned. "What I would like to ask is, Father, would you donate some blood to see if we can isolate the gene? To see if we can make the effect last longer?"

"Hmm. Fine. I'm game," he nodded. Nick was very impressed with this knowledge.

"Think it could pass to drones, too?" the drone asked.

"That's what we are hoping for," Osiris chuckled.

"Good. My Liege is looking forward to the results. I need to head back to him. He needs me. Keep Charles Watterson under lock and key for now. Our Empress still wants to rip him limb from limb. As much as I would enjoy watching her do that, he has answers. Until we extract them in any way we must, he needs to live," Nick said. Osiris nodded and watched the drone leave. Robert seemed to sigh and muse to himself.

"What's going on, Father?" Osiris asked.

"I was always wondering why that drone was so...independent. In a sense. I would have hardly guessed that he...eh, it, really, was the first one hatched. It seems to have its own sense of thought sometimes. That drone was also the one that demanded to guard you all in your eggs when Ragland wanted to run tests on you," Robert smiled.

"Seriously?!" Osiris blinked. "I had no idea."

"Not many do," he nodded. "Anyways, if all we have to do is wait, then fine. I think I'm going to rest up. If I have to fuck your mother in a few short hours, I need to be at maximum capacity. Fucking sessions with her are always a roller coaster ride."

"Good luck," Osiris grinned. Robert waved a hand at him as though saying 'yeah, yeah' and moved off to his chamber. The breeder male rose up soon after to check on Isis. She was giving birth soon and needed him.


	107. Chapter 107

Benzaiten and Shinatobe seemed to give birth together at the same time. They were in separate rooms, and the expecting fathers were only relieved when they heard the shrill cries of their daughters. When thinking of names, it was Dionysus that walked over to help.

"Tsuneo, your daughter could be named Tethys," he smiled. "And, Toshimichi, name yours Hemera. Those names aren't claimed yet."

"Thank you," Tsuneo smiled.

"Granted, in the old tales, of course, Tethys was the wife of Oceanus, but it doesn't matter here," the breeder male shrugged.

"True. A name is just a name," Toshimichi nodded. "Ah, my friend, Mamoru, may be here in the next couple of hours. I was just informed."

"Good. We'll have a place ready for him," Dionysus nodded. "You may want to see to your mates and new children. They are asking for you."

"Very well. We would have been there with them, but they insisted for us to wait in another room. Sometimes a birth can make them seem a touch shameful," Tsuneo shrugged.

"It's fine. Go see them," Dionysus chuckled. They walked back into their rooms and adored their new daughters. A couple hours later, when the submarine appeared with Mamoru, Toshimichi was sitting in the quarantine room and eating a few spring rolls. He was supposed to have arrived the next day, but Alex urged the drones driving the submarine to up the speed. There was too much that needed to be done, and waiting on a human was something he didn't want to happen. Mamoru was a bit surprised at how fast the trip was, but he was glad it was done, all the same. He had never been on a submarine before, and he didn't really like it.

Waving to his friend when the drones escorted him in, he gestured for him to sit down.

" _I'm starving!_ " his friend sighed and succumbed to the food set before him. " _Where is this place? Underwater?_ "

" _Yes,_ " Toshimichi chuckled. " _I cannot be long, though. My wife just gave birth to my daughter. She can only have me away for so long. Ah, how good is your English? If I have to go, one by the name of Commander Robert Harrison will be here to speak with you at length for me. There is much that you need to know._ "

" _What? A father already?! I thought you just got married?_ "

" _I did. Nine days ago._ "

" _Was she pregnant with another?_ "

" _Nope. Her daughter is mine._ "

" _That makes no sense!_ "

" _Well...she's not exactly human,_ " Toshimichi chuckled. Now Mamoru dropped what he was eating and stared at his friend. " _Do you know of the Blacklight Virus?_ "

" _That disgusting thing? What about it?_ " he frowned.

" _My wife was derived from it. Not exactly from it, but an offshoot of it. It's tricky to explain. Ah! Commander!_ " Toshimichi nodded to Robert when he entered.

"Can he understand me?" Robert asked. At Mamoru's questionable look, Dionysus was quick to appear. He would be the translator.

" _Hello! I am Dionysus. A breeder male,_ " he said with a grin. Mamoru was completely clueless. "Father, you have about four hours until Mother is ready for you."

"Good. Another fucking roller coaster ride of pleasurable Hell. I look forward to it," he chuckled. "Anyways, hello. I am Robert Harrison. I used to be a Commander in the army of the United States of America. I will explain to you what you need to know. However, after I explain this to you, you will have a choice to make. To either join us...or die."

" _What?!_ " Mamoru gaped at the translation. " _Toshi! Is this true?!_ "

" _It is. It's why I wasn't sure of contacting you. Now that you are here, you know too much. Listen to what they have to say. I...really hope you decide to stay here,_ " he said a touch sadly. Mamoru was always his childhood friend. _To trick him like this isn't my nature, but I had to do it. I want a friend with me._  When he looked over at the doorway on who entered next, he was out of his seat. " _Benzaiten! What are you doing walking around?!_ "

" _I missed you,_ " she trembled. He knew she also appeared to let Mamoru see her.  _To let him know of the possible female his own unconscious thoughts would bring to fruition._ She knew that the human was staring at her in a slack-jawed look of complete disbelief.

" _I'm sorry, Mamoru. She needs me. I need to see to Hemera now. The next time I see you, I hope you will forgive me,_ " he winced. Benzaiten smiled and led her husband away. " _Very evil of you to tempt him so!_ "

" _Hah! You want temptation? I should have walked in there naked!_ " she giggled. She was purposely speaking Japanese to be overheard. At the small goose he gave her rump next to hear her squeak, Dionysus chuckled. When Hermes walked in, Mamoru could only stare with another round of complete shock.

" _Ah! The Manga reject showed up!_ " Dionysus said cheerfully.

" _Kiss a princess and turn into a toad. It might improve your looks,_ " Hermes smirked. Robert snickered a bit. He could understand Japanese now, but he didn't like to speak it.

"Will both of you settle down before I have a bag of peanuts delivered to you with all my love?" Robert asked with a roll of his eyes. That got them both to shut up. Now that they were pacified, he began to explain in depth of what was expected to Mamoru. When he was done, he sat back in the chair and accepted a plate of potato chips.

Mamoru was in complete silence. If it wasn't for him seeing Benzaiten, he would have demanded to be released and begged for his life. He adjusted his glasses and sighed.

" _Do you need some time to think on this? I know. It's a lot to take in. We can give you until the end of the day,_ " Dionysus said.

" _I just...my job? My livelihood? If I just disappear..._ " Mamoru winced.

" _We have drones that can take on your life. You give us a bit of blood, and we make clones of you for them. They take your place. They can, eventually, phase you out of the world a little at a time. You would remain here with the woman of your dreams. If you wanted to go so far, a room can be made in an exact mirror image of one of your main rooms on land. Your phone will still work, too. Or, let the drone in question take your phone and simply rely on the memories it gains from your blood,_ " Hermes smiled.

" _I have family, though. I don't want them..._ "

" _We will not harm your family,_ " Dionysus vowed. " _Not unless you think it's deserved._ "

" _Fine. I'm in. I don't want anyone else here, though. I know Toshi had mentioned Arata. I don't want anyone else involved in this mess. Arata...he's more delicate in the mind than many know,_ " he admitted. " _And...I understand that both Yasunori and Hikari have died?_ "

" _Yes,_ " Dionysus nodded. " _but we do have their memories and forms. If you wanted to 'talk' to them, it could be possible. It just won't be them._ "

" _No, no. It's fine. Okay. What do I have to do?_ " Mamoru asked. Now that he was being taken to the lab for blood to be drawn and a shot of Agatha's blood in return, Fadil was getting information on his sister in Egypt. Hermanubis and Osiris had drones set in small cameras around Fadil's apartment. What was discovered had Fadil completely livid.

"That...whore!" Fadil shouted in English. He had managed to receive some of Agatha's blood and give over his in return. "I leave to work a whole day, even longer, and she brings over whoever she wants to fuck in my bed?!"

"What do you want to do?" Apollo asked calmly. Fadil was beside himself. He was in tears that the one he strove to protect for so long was actually using him as a meal ticket. Apollo and Osiris glanced at each other with small frowns.

"I...shouldn't...but..." Fadil coughed to regain himself. "bring her here. I need to talk to her. If she...admits her guilt, then fine. But...if she lies..."

"We will deal with her for you," Osiris nodded.

"You can...make her right?"

"Not exactly. But, we can claim her blood and memories. A drone can 'become' her for you. She will not be here, but her physical presence will. If that will suffice?" Apollo asked.

"Better than watching what she is now," Fadil admitted. When he saw her using drugs and needles, he looked away from the screen with even more sorrow. "I knew things were bad for her after our parents passed. I just...I thought I was helping her..."

"We have drones ready to intervene now," Osiris said. "and we may have to."

"What?!" Fadil gaped. At the screen, several other men came in with a gun and suitcase of money. _It was Russian Roulette._  "No! She does this?!"

"It's a new thing now. She's been lucky so far," Osiris muttered.

"She said she had a new job! That she...yes! Stop it! I can't see her do this!" Fadil begged. At his plea, the scout drones in his apartment suddenly appeared and slaughtered all of the humans, save Fadil's sister. She was knocked out, and the cameras were removed after she was taken away. Fadil was completely distraught. He didn't know what else to think.

"All of this is recorded. If she lies, we will play this," Apollo nodded.

"Thank you," Fadil nodded and shook both their hands. "What do I need to do now?"

"Just wait. Not much else to do," Osiris smiled. "We may be getting new recruits like yourself. They know what's in store, and you can help us greet them."

"I can do that," he nodded. "You viruses...no...people...are helping me with so much now. I'm glad I snuck onto your helicopter that day."

"Of course," Osiris chuckled. With this underway, it was just a matter of time for the next incident to appear. All the while, the fetal embryo was still growing. As much as they all wanted to see what it was like, Alex only wanted it dead. He simply had to wait.


	108. Chapter 108

Robert was with Agatha when Fadil's sister finally appeared. She was put in the quarantine room and given a wake up drug. Fadil was eating at the small table and waiting for her to wake up. When she did wake, she glanced around nervously. On seeing him, she showed a lot of relief. When she moved to hug him, the look he gave her made her falter.

" _Layla. It is good that you are awake. You are not dead, though. Just sit down with me. I want to talk to you, and I am not pleased,_ " Fadil said lightly in Egyptian.

" _Fadil...okay..._ " she nodded. Most of the drugs she put into herself were phased out with a careful concoction that Ragland and Hedeyasu made while she was knocked out. It was rare for her to think so clearly these days.

" _I always wondered what you had done behind closed doors when I was not there,_ " he said softly. He could see her start to pale. " _So, I had friends put in cameras. What I saw...well...I did not know how bad it really was._ "

" _That was not me, Fadil!_ " she panicked.

" _Do not lie. I know it was you,_ " he muttered. She swallowed hard. " _You suck at lies. I also have a full recording of what I saw. So I_ know _it was you. You told me that you had a new job. What do you think I would have done if I came home and found you dead from a game you thought you were good at?_ "

" _It paid that bills!_ " she hissed.

" _And fucking strange men in my bed?_ "

" _That...also paid bills..._ "

" _You could not go out and get a normal job?!_ "

" _With what transportation?!_ " she scowled. " _With what funding?_ "

" _How long were you planning on doing this?_ "

" _I was planning to move out when I saved enough._ "

" _Another lie. I paid all the bills. You had more than enough to help us get into a house, but you only gave me enough to cover the rent and some food. You lied to me about everything you did. I don't even know if you are my sister anymore._ "

" _Please, Fadil..._ " she whispered.

" _I can only guess that you spent the excess money on your drugs. And, after what I witnessed in the camera today..._ " he swallowed and pushed aside his half-eaten plate. " _What would it take to get you to stop doing this?_ "

" _I don't know!_ " she admitted and burst into tears. He wasn't impressed.  _She always did this when confronted._ He wasn't going to coddle her like he used to do.

" _I will give you a choice. I already accepted this, and I cannot leave,_ " he said softly. She looked at him through her tears. " _We are in a top-secret government facility. I agreed to become a part of a project to help advance it. I live here, I get paid here, and my place on land will be taken over by others. No, Layla, we are not on land. We are in the ocean. Deep under the water. If you help me with this experiment, then you will live. You may even be granted a proper husband, as I will be gaining a proper wife. But...if you choose not to, I will not hesitate to watch you die._ "

" _What?!_ " she gasped with shock. " _But...others will look for me..._ "

" _Do you have debts now?_ "

" _A few...in a way..._ "

" _My new friends will look into that. As for you, I will leave you here. You are always watched, as am I. Make your choice. Unlike other times, I refuse to make this choice for you. This is all you now. Choose wisely,_ " he said. At that, he got up and left. She was stunned by her brother's mood.  _He was never like this before._ Then she went speechless at the scout drone that appeared and cleaned up the dirty dishes that were left behind. There was food and water left for her, but she was beside herself now.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Dionysus asked Fadil.

"No. She needs to make this choice on her own. I will not have her swayed by others. That has, apparently, happened more times than I can imagine. She needs to think on her own right now," Fadil winced. "As much as I wanted to hug her, I knew what she was pulling."

"That you did," he nodded. "You did very well."

"Thank you. I need to lie down. You will tell me of her decision?"

"We can give you a couple hours to rest. If she does nothing, you can approach her again," Dionysus chuckled. Fadil agreed and went to his new room to rest. There was a new shipment of Egyptian style clothing and furniture that came in for him, but he was too weary over his sister to deal with it. He would handle it later.

Vera and Vlad were gossiping to each other happily in the mess hall when Hermes waved to sit with them. Vera was always happy to see her new family, and she showed this with a beaming smile.

"Hermes!" Vlad smiled. "How is Sif?"

"She's doing really good! She was asking for you, though," he grinned. "If you have the time, you should see her. She really likes you."

"I can do that. After I eat," Vlad chuckled.

"That's fine. Vera! How are you doing? You are growing so wonderfully!" Hermes beamed.

"Thank you," she blushed softly. She was just like a sixteen-year-old girl now. Her dark brown hair was growing longer, too, and was kept back neatly in a soft braid. Dionysus and Athena had actually adopted her as a bit of their own daughter until she had a specialized breeder male to care for her. It was what the breeders had decided to do to any orphaned children that came to them.

"Get away from my daughter, pervert," Dionysus smirked when he walked in.

"Up yours, you princely schmuck," Hermes grinned. Vera blushed and giggled hard. "What's going on with Layla?"

"Oh, the usual whiny, crying, and hissing match that one sibling caught red-handed gives to another. Fadil gave her the choice. But, he doesn't want us to speak with her. He wants her to decide what is best for herself."

"Interesting to know. I'll abide by it," Hermes nodded. "Ah! I need to head back to Dana. Rhea wants to talk to me and see Sif in the new video camera. I'll be back around."

"I shall be there soon," Vlad nodded.

"Good! Catch you around," Hermes smiled and left.

"Of course," Dionysus smiled. "And you need to finish eating and get back to your schooling."

"Yes, Papa," she smiled. She did give him a hug and went to do just that. As much as Robert had agreed to be a bit of a father figure, she had shown that she wanted to be around Dionysus the most. That was how the decision was done. He was always very kind to her, and that helped it, too. At the look on Vlad's face, Dionysus looked at him questionably.

"I do not think that Layla should join us," he admitted. "She is trouble."

"You think so?" the breeder male frowned.

"I know so. Yes, a male will keep her in line. But, her mind always seems to change. I do not think that she will be good for us. She has made a lot of bad decisions. She still seems to make bad decisions. I feel that she needs to die."

"Your opinion will be heavily noted," Dionysus nodded. On thinking to the hive mind, he found that many agreed with Vlad's decision. When Hypnos chimed in, he paid full attention.

_:Layla is trouble. It's true. But, sometimes trouble can be beneficial. Think about it. She is manipulative. She lies. She knows various connections. As much as her train of thought is bad, it could be useful to us. We would know how to strategize further in her co-op ways. If she makes the choice to not join us, then fine. We'll take her memories, her form, and slaughter her. No big deal for us. If she lives, her Queens would gain her instincts to pass on into the hive.:_ Hypnos said.

_:But, Hypnos, would she turn?:_ Hariti asked.

_:Doubtful. Look at the ones that gained Mother's blood and how they are now. Of course, the decision, ultimately, falls to Layla. Fadil wants her to think for herself this once. We shall honor his decision. He deserves that much from us.:_ He replied. When they all felt Alex listening in, there was a mild silence in case he wanted to speak. He made full use of it.

_:Layla's a lying, manipulative little bitch. Fuck her. If she wants in, fine. One fucking chance like all the rest. If she fucks up, she's dead. No other chances. That's the way it always is. If she argues with us even once, she's dead. If she shows hesitation on being told what to do, she's dead. I'll even let your mother fuck her up to get her blood back. As it is, I'm too fucking stressed over that fetus. I won't feel better until I know what's up with it. That's the way I am right now.:_ Alex snorted.

_:It is growing, but slowly. As you know, my Emperor, we talked about putting it in an egg. But, with all the new births, it would be risky.:_ Dionysus sighed.

_:Oh, trust me. I know. A male version of Agatha. Fuck. It still sickens me. Has it developed any features yet? Or still a little blob of shit?:_ Alex asked.

_:It seems to be growing hair now.:_ Hariti said.  _:And it looks like Mother's hair, too. Same color. I'm not sure what else to say about it. The genitals are starting to form. It's even starting to kick a little. For some reason, though, I'm feeling that it's nervous. That it...knows.:_

_:For good fucking reason.:_ Alex growled.

_:I'm guessing that it's a waiting game still?:_ Hermanubis muttered.

_:As always.:_ Osiris sighed.

_:What's going on with the homeless recruits?:_ Apollo asked.

_:Ah. The first batch is ready to be sent to the main base. Ten men. Ten women. Four children. They all know what to expect. They all have done remarkably well, too! I actually feel a bit proud of them.:_ Osiris chuckled.  _:After inspection by you, my Emperor, they will receive Mother's blood, if worthy.:_

_:The kids I can see. The adults will need definite testing.:_ Alex agreed.  _:Fine. You tell me when they are shipped here. I'll have rooms converted for them to stay in until we sort them out. I've been having new rooms made here for more specialized breeders. We need more Queens.:_

_:That is always a must.:_ Hypnos agreed. When the conversation died down, Dionysus looked at Vlad with a small sigh.

"Our Emperor says, and I quote, one fucking chance. It's all that Layla gets," he shrugged.

"Of course," Vlad chuckled and finished his plate. "I must see to Sif now."

"Have fun!" he grinned. Sighing, he decided to help Vera with her schooling. He wanted to get her grammar up there. While he did that, Robert had just finished up with Agatha. Alex was letting her recline against him once again.

"You really think that Layla should join us?" Robert frowned.

"What do you think?" Agatha frowned.

"She gets one fucking chance with me," Alex shrugged. "Not much else to say."

"I just...I feel that there's something wrong with her. Not the drugs or anything. But something else. That's she's...more than what she seems," Robert admitted. "I've been on the force for a long ass time. I just feel that she's hiding something else."

"What do you suggest?" Agatha asked.

"A full health check," Robert said. "Cat scans of her brain. Everything."

"Done. Tell Fadil. Knock the bitch out. We'll test her health," Alex nodded. Robert nodded and went to talk to Fadil. When they were alone, Alex gave an irritated sigh.

"The fetus?" she frowned.

"Yes," he muttered. He closed his eyes at the feel of her hand on his viral chest. "Damn it, Hera. I don't know what to make of it. Heads or tails. Fucking annoying as all fuck."

"I know, Zeus," she nodded and rested against him. "But, I do know something that can help you take your mind off of it. At least for a little while."

"Hmm?" he smiled and kissed her. At the sight of Nick bringing over the puzzle of the dragon and the waterfall, he grinned. "Yes. That will work nicely."


	109. Chapter 109

The health scans showed that Robert was right. Layla had an intense cancer running rampant through her system. She knew of this and purposely did such life-risking things to save up money. Then she was planning to give all of this over on her death bed. Fadil was in shock once more. He had no idea how well she hid this from him.

" _I am sorry, Fadil,_ " she said sadly.

" _Layla..._ " he winced. She was mildly strapped down to a gurney in the lab. She was now able to receive the hug she wanted from him. " _If you join us, your cancer will be cured._ "

" _Are you serious?!_ " she gasped.

" _Very serious,_ " he nodded. " _But, as I said before, you will be living here. You cannot return home. This place will be your new home._ "

" _I am scared,_ " she admitted. " _But...if I can be cured..._ "

" _I will not say yes or no._ "

" _Yes, Fadil. I want to be cured. I want to live better. I want to be a better sister for you. I don't want to disappoint you anymore._ "

" _I am very happy to hear that,_ " he sighed and squeezed her.

" _I have many that seek me out, though. I made a lot of connections. Dangerous ones,_ " she admitted. " _I only wanted to make you proud of me._ "

" _Tell our friends here what you know. They will seek out these connections and deal with them in their own ways. You are going to be spoken to shortly to let you know what to expect. I will remain at your side,_ " he nodded.

"We'll give her a shot of Agatha's blood first. When she is cured, I'm sure that either Robert or one of the others will speak with her," Ragland said. Fadil told her what he said, and she nodded with full understanding. After the shot was given, they watched the cancer slowly seem to melt away in various culture dishes. When she began to understand English, she was in complete shock. "We'll give her the rest of the day to recover. She may need to bond with an egg, though, right?"

"Yes. Mother is forming the breeder eggs right now," Hariti nodded. "We have Claudia and Mamoru on standby for the moment they are needed. Fadil and Layla might also have the chance to join them. We will know for sure when Mother calls for them."

"Eggs?" Layla asked.

"Yes," Fadil nodded. He planned to only speak English to get his sister used to doing the same thing for now. "There is Robert. I will let him talk."

"Hello, Layla. Nice to have you aboard," he chuckled. She smiled softly and listened to everything he told her. Now that she was being fully brought up to speed, Alex was helping his mate sit up to tuck into a large slab of Hunter heart. Now that she was practically whole, she could eat the Hunter meat freely to save on other meats. It no longer smelled nasty to her while she was with breeder eggs. As he relaxed, he mildly scanned through the link for anything of interest. Then he smirked.

"Hmm?" she asked, as a piece of meat was just placed in her mouth.

"Another assassination attempt on Osiris," he grinned. "Or, I should say, John. The drone bearing his form went ahead and took the bait. When the poison failed, he killed the would-be killer after letting another drone take over the memories. False reports of a successful assassination are going to be spread. But, I will have the drone continue to move about like nothing's wrong to piss off the one that wants him dead. False reports are so fun!"

"Fucking with them as they fuck with us?" she grinned back and ate another piece.

"Damn straight," he chuckled. "As much as I want to go after the head fuck that's doing this, it's kinda fun watching them shit themselves and spend their resources to do this."

"We should take the bastard out, anyways," she muttered. "Just send in a mess of drones and be done with it. Why shouldn't we?"

"Did you want to?" he smiled. At this, she focused her mind in the link.

_:My children, I grow weary of these 'attacks' on Osiris's form. Can we please do something about this? It's a waste of time and energy to me!:_ She sighed.

_:I will handle it, Mother. With my own drones. You have my word.:_ Hypnos growled.

_:No. I will.:_ Oceanus grumbled out.

_:Oh, we all can! Let this be our proof of cooperation!:_ Coeus giggled.

_:I'm down for it.:_ Cronus agreed.

_:Fuck it. I'm swarming the whole place!:_ Hermanubis scowled.  _:You guys find the fucks. I'll send in my scouts. Then they all go in together when the target is located.:_

_:Hell on Earth. Gotta love it!:_ Cronus snickered.

_:Find out why the attacks started first.:_ Alex said with a small warning glare. At the agreements all around, the conversation dropped.

"Good. Let them handle it," Agatha smiled.

"Of course, love," he chuckled and let her snuggle into him. Within the hour, they had their answer. As well as a whole new mess of trouble. Much to their surprise, there was a hidden base.  _And it was right under the sewer systems of New York._ Various breeder males were in the conference room with the screens showing the four Kings. Alex was soon in there with them. Robert had to join them, too.

"My Emperor, what do we do?" Osiris frowned. "This base was even hidden from John."

"I get that," Alex growled.

"What do we know?" Robert asked.

"When we traced back where the assassins were coming from, they all came from here. This lab is purely a cloning lab, from what our drones can tell us. It was also where they first started our Emperor's genetic start to form Mother. From what John's memories recall, he was approached by a man with the knowledge to assist in making Project Hera. To get it started. He agreed with the idea to help fund and provide the bases needed for research. He never really saw this man up close, either. And he never knew where this man came from. I don't know what they really have in this base, either, but it seems to be the 'true' base that started everything," Osiris said. "We can get drones to infiltrate it right now."

"Do that, but don't kill anything. It's fine to take over a few soldiers, if you have to. But nothing else. I need to go in and tear it out. It won't be done until this fetus has finished growing as a precaution. Fuck. I knew that there was one more fucking base! There always is! Never fucking fails!" Alex snarled, grew his claws, and rendered the part of the steel table he was sitting at into scrap metal. That caused all of them in there to swallow a bit nervously. Hermes and Loki were both unsure of what to think now.

"I'd make a joke about finding large, walking turtles, but..." Dionysus started and seemed to shrug. That got a lot of various snickers around the room, but Alex was too pissed off.

"I'm going to fuck your mother. Find out what you can. Tell Nick. Get me blueprints. Scans. Mail deliveries. Every fucking scrap of information that you can! I want to know the schedule of when each person takes a fucking shit!" Alex snarled out again and got up to stalk out. At the sound of another wall getting torn open, the males in the room whistled to each other.

"I think he's pissed," Loki winced.

"What gave you that idea?" Hypnos sighed.

"Game plan?" Robert asked.

"Infiltration. I can see about having drones hack into the camera systems, if there are any. Aten will be ready to start studying who lives in this base and what to expect. Hemsut can monitor who does what when she gets the live feeds, too," Hermanubis said. "I can go back to the main island and set up my cameras to see who the main guy is. We find him, take him over."

"We can't do that," Cronus snorted. "Our Emperor wants to fuck him up."

"Fine. We find out where this guy lives. Then he'll get a personal visit," Robert smiled.

"Done..." Oceanus nodded.

"Works for me," Coeus nodded, too. "Time line for discovery?"

"Four hours," Cronus said.

"I'd say six. It's more realistic," Hypnos said. At that, the screens went out and new plans were made. Alex was resting in bed with Agatha snuggling into him. He wasn't happy. He thought he was done with the traveling.  _At least New York was just a short submarine swim away. Now I just need to figure out where the entrance was. That would happen soon enough from the drones that flooded the streets of New York. There were so many of them now. At this point, we could have easily made our own capitol state._ All Alex had to do was wait and bide his time. That was easy to do with Agatha keeping him calm.


	110. Chapter 110

What they found out would have been intimidating if they were just starting out. The main guy that started all of this was in the White House. He wasn't the President, but he was high up on the ladder. He was just under the Secretary of Defense. On finding out where he lived, it was decided on to start taking over the household servants. The man had a mansion based in the remote hills of Colorado. It was larger than Osiris's estate. There were plenty of places for drones to hide in ambush.

The man's full name was George Copperstone. He was a mix of various races, but that didn't matter. He looked like a basic guy. Brown hair, brown eyes, and a few scars on his face from roughing it in the fields with other soldiers. From what Osiris pulled up on his personal file was that the man did have a family. They went overseas on vacation and were taken hostage. His whole family was killed right in front of him. Soldiers were able to rescue him, but his family was already gone.

As remorseful as his tale was, it got him into the defensive arts. This was what truly led him to his current position in the government ranking. It also made him take a rather keen interest in biochemical warfare. When he had heard of the Blacklight Virus, he jumped on it. He was able to acquire viral samples from when Alex first woke up in a morgue. It was those critical, cultured samples that made the first strain of Agatha.

Alex now saw what Agatha saw. _It was stolen property. I want it back._

"I'm going with you to retrieve it," Agatha said in a point-blank manner.

"No," Alex growled.

"Fuck you. Don't argue with me," she warned. "You got all of my parts back, save the one we are waiting on in the fetus. I am helping you get your cells back. It's only fair."

"Hera..." he groaned.

"No. I will not listen to you on this one," she smirked. "Besides. He should meet the finished project before I kill him."

"Ah, no. I'm killing him."

"Fuck that! It's my turn!"

"Come on, Hera!"

"Okay. Fine. Zeus, you take one half of him. I'll take the other. Then we'll pull him apart like a wishbone and see if he grants us a wish to live happily ever fucking after," she smiled. "Will that work for you?"

"Deal," he muttered. He did find himself laughing a bit at her beaming smile.

"Besides, infiltrating his home and lands will give us enough time to wait for that fetus to grow. And Vera will be ready for her breeding male by tomorrow. I do wonder, though. If she's seventeen days by my blood standards, she may be old enough for a breeder now. By the time he hatches, she'll be at a decent age. What do you think?"

"I can see that. You did receive a batch of my premade sperm before Robert got you. So it may be possible. We'll have her ready to join the others in case it happens," he nodded. He rubbed her belly now that it was starting the fast growth phase.

"Nice to know that we can agree on things," she teased.

"Rare that we don't," he smiled and kissed her. "All right. I'm going to patrol."

"Patrol what?" she frowned.

"The video screens. I want to see what's going on up above us."

"Just have some screens put in here."

"No."

"Well, I don't want you to leave," she pouted. He rolled his eyes.  _Her pregnancy hormones were there in full._ Sighing with defeat, he let her cuddle into him. Nick was the one that went to the screens for him.

"Looking for something?" Hermanubis asked.

"My Liege can't leave our Empress. She forbids it. She is also quite adamant on helping him retrieve his stolen cells. She thinks it's fair for all he did for her," Nick chuckled.

"Oh! You would think so. We have drones scouring the sewers for the entrance. The memories revealed by those that we find and take over are odd," the breeder male admitted.

"How is that?" the drone asked.

"Well, most of who we find are clones. I wouldn't doubt it if John was confronted by a clone, too. They 'wake up' in a hotel room with a message report of everything they need to know. They are formed in the base, trained there, and then knocked out to keep the base location a secret. Then the clones come around near their locations to do what they have to do. They meet at a way point, get knocked out again, and wake up back in the base. None of them know where this base truly is. Only that it's in the sewers of New York. That's it."

"A very interesting way to keep a secret. And very reliable, too," Nick frowned.

"We have almost every scout drone that we have combing through that place. The moment we find something, all of us will know," Hermanubis nodded.

"Can't we use a clone that we take over to go to one of these waypoints?"

"That's already being done. The moment our drone wakes up in the base, it will start to scour for the location pin-point. Our drones on the outside can even trace the one on the inside, but only after the one taken in wakes up."

"Let's hope it does wake up," Nick muttered.

"No kidding. The last thing we need is for our drone to get discovered."

"Best case scenario is we take out this base before the head fuck in charge finds out. Worst case, the base goes into lockdown and we start to get hunted."

"Oh, I'd hunt the hunters. It's what I do best," Hermanubis grinned wickedly.

"I know it. Now...that does give me an idea," Nick mused.

"Do share?"

"Gladly. We know the base is in the sewers. I would say that, once we get a good location, we let a Hunter loose. It would have to be small, though. Easy to maneuver through the tunnels, and such. Big ones won't work."

"I like that!"

"Think you can get a few small ones?"

"A few?"

"If there is more than one entrance..."

"Fucked in all holes, eh?"

"You bet your ass," Nick snickered. In the bedroom, Alex was crowing with laughter. Agatha was just as amused as he was. The entire hive mind was in agreement. Hunters were now being tracked that would be easily tranquilized and transported out. Everything would be prepared in a clockwork manner. It had to be done like this.

"Can you get the ones ready to bond with the eggs?" Agatha asked when she winced.

"How many need to be here?" Alex asked in a soothing tone.

"I feel...five pressure areas..." she gasped. He blinked and found himself chuckling.  _Vera was going to get her male._ Fadil, Layla, Mamoru, and Claudia were gathered together with Vera to carefully press on where Agatha designated them. Mamoru had not yet met Agatha, and he was a touch surprised at her stunning beauty.

"Introductions later!" Alex growled. "She's in pain! Press down hard!"

"Right!" Mamoru swallowed and pressed down to greet the same pressure moving into his hands. After the connections were established, she finally lay back with exhaustion.

"Do we wait again?" Claudia asked.

"Yes. Just go somewhere else. Your destined partners will be with you when they hatch. They will need to be birthed first. Then they will go to you," Nick nodded.

"Would it be possible for me to get some of my furnishings?" Mamoru asked.

"We can do that. Go speak with Osiris," the drone nodded to him.

"And...it is an honor to meet you," he said to Agatha.

"Of course. I look forward to meeting with you again," she smiled and nodded elegantly. He bowed slightly to Alex to show respect, and he left right after. Alex gave a mild glare, but the human knew his place. "Oh. What happened to that other scientist? The one that brought us the fetus? Do you know?"

"I do. He was already killed. We gave him one chance. He tried to steal the fetus. He was caught and disposed of. This happened yesterday. He's dead," Alex said. That brought a nice little smile to her face, and he kissed her heavily. "Of course, we have clones of him and his memories. That was always needed."

"Good," she said and pulled him close to kiss again.

"Are you sure...you want to get my cells back?" he growled in the kiss.

"I do..." she mumbled back.

"And, if I end up fucking you at some point?"

"Gives us a time limit. Doesn't it?" she grinned.

"Bitch..." he grinned back and kissed her even more.


	111. Chapter 111

After the eggs were birthed, Alex had to force himself to keep from being with her. In the end, he gave in. She reminded him that they had to wait for the new breeders to bond with their chosen humans. She further reminded him that they were still waiting on the fetus. _They had three more days. It would be two more after the new couples were properly bonded._ He hated it when she was right.

Now that she was complacent with a nice, large steak of elk, he was leaning back in the bed and gleaning over the hive mind.

"Hmm. They infiltrated that head fuck's place," he muttered. "Most of the servants are now drones. They are silently pouring through everything they can to find out all about him and this hidden base. They do seem to be getting close to the location we need to find. They have found an old map of the sewer stations."

"Did they?" she asked with the fork in her mouth. When she went to eat the next piece, he grabbed her hand to have him feed her. "Hey! That was mine!"

"I cooked it. It's both of ours," he chuckled and swallowed. "Besides, if I'm to get my cells back, I need something, too."

"You never did before," she mused.

"I think I need the extra protein cells. Usually, I don't. But, I will share each meal with you. I kinda feel like I have to," he paused in thought.

"Oh! You think it may be related with how you shared my kill with that heart?"

"I think so. I'm going to try something. Stay put," he said and kissed her heavily. Then he got her to scoff at him when he stole her next piece of meat with a grin. She laughed at him when he left, and he went to the kitchens. Kim had already thawed out the Hunter heart he wanted. It was sautéed and lightly salted, but it was kept whole. He only wanted it cooked lightly to warm it up and thaw it from where it was frozen. He wanted it as raw as possible. Putting it in a bowl, he carried it back over to her.

Nick tensed at the sight of it and quickly walked out. The drone knew how Agatha would be. It was a part of her old DNA from the Hunter slaughter from the Russian base. The moment she saw the heart, her lips curled back into a heavy snarl.

"Give it to me!" she spat. Her hair was coiled to attack, but she stopped at his glare.

"We share it!" he said in a tone like hers. She growled, but nodded. This was how he would cement his bond with her. Until his cells were gathered, this was needed. There were several hearts left. He was going to share each 'kill' with her to show they were always equals. Not all at once, but once or twice a day or until they were gone. Now that they each took a side to tear into, her hair coiled around the bed to seal them up.

In another part of the base, Mamoru was talking to Osiris. It was easy to make arrangements for most of his personal belongings to be transferred. He was given basic furniture in his room for now. It did the job, but he missed certain pieces of his own home.

"It will take a few days, but they will get here. Maybe even a couple," Osiris nodded.

"Good. I would appreciate it," Mamoru sighed.

"Your wife will be approaching you in about four hours. If you need to rest up, go rest. It's the same thing with the others," he nodded.

"I'll go eat something and shower. And I may take up your offer on resting," Mamoru chuckled. "What can I expect when I see her?"

"Don't be surprised if you take her straight to bed," he winked. That had Mamoru's jaw drop, but he nodded all the same. "Trust me on that one."

"Of course!" he replied and stood up to seek his room. On his way there, he confronted Toshimichi. He was being tracked down.

"We have a problem," his friend said carefully.

"What?" Mamoru asked.

"Arata called me. He wants to talk to me. I don't know about what. I'm going to have one of the drones confront him as me, and Benzaiten will let me know what happens. If it's bad, I'll let you know. But, I had to tell you."

"Okay. I really hope nothing is too bad."

"If it is?"

"Fuck..."

"I know. We know how Arata can get into trouble. And you know he only contacts us if he is in trouble. If it's financial debt, I'll pay it off to get him off our backs. But, if he seeks protection, what would you suggest?"

"I don't want him here."

"Neither do I."

"I suppose...a few drones could look into it? Maybe...follow him?" Mamoru asked and straightened his glasses. "It's the only thing that I can think of."

"Stay here," Toshimichi said and thought to his wife. For him, she contacted the hive link with the problem.

_:Toshimichi's friend, Arata, is having problems in Japan. Both Mamoru and Toshimichi do not wish him here. He is rather gentle in spirit. He may not cope with what is being done here. Can we look into this? A drone can easily take on Toshimichi's appearance to see what is going on. When we know more, can we do more?:_ Benzaiten asked.

_:Easily.:_ Coeus confirmed.  _:I actually sent some of my drones and breeders to Japan. I'll take over that for you. Hypnos, do you want to use your drone for this and have mine as backup? Or you, Cronus?:_

_:It may be possible.:_ Hypnos's deep tone rolled through the link. Cronus was sending out indecisive thoughts. He'd rather stay out of it. He thought of such things as useless confrontations. That pissed off Alex, and he had to voice his thoughts.

_:Cronus. You find out what the fuck is going on with your drones. You_ have _to step the fuck up as being the first King! Hypnos, send out your scout drones to follow this human. Coeus and Oceanus, send out your drones when they know more. Remember. The base with my cells is a first priority at all times. You Kings need to deal with most of the little shit like this. I'm still with your mother and barely keeping focus from eating this fucking huge ass heart! Get your asses moving!:_ Alex growled in the link. He always had to take control of any situation that came up. As Emperor, he simply had to. Cronus gave a mental agreement. He always bragged about being the first King. He needed to show more responsibility.

Benzaiten relayed the information to her husband, and he was able to inform Mamoru. Now that it was in motion, they both relaxed and parted ways. In Egypt, though, it was a whole new cake-walk from Layla's past connections.

She was involved in an intense drug and sex ring. When she didn't report for her usual check-in, she was quickly sought after. Drones were able to hide near her apartment and take out the men looking for her. Then they simply gave a false report that she was ill, and they returned back to the base in question. After they were able to have their small army of drones go in and dismantle the entire opposition piece by piece, the head man in charge there was caught and drugged to be brought to the underwater base. The entire siege took less than an hour. It was pathetically easy to conquer and take down.

"Why are you bringing him here?" Hermanubis asked Nick. "The main guy?"

"My Liege prefers to do the killing blow on each top human. You could say that he likes to be the last thing they see. To prove that humans as a whole are no longer the top of the food chain. The human being brought likes to watch others suffer for his amusement. My Liege is actually thinking of displaying a small kitchen window to show what is being prepared to be eaten after it is served. He wants this human to know what it's like to be on the other end of the stick, so to speak."

"Oh? What's for dinner?" the breeder male grinned.

"What else? A human corpse," Nick grinned. That got Hermanubis laughing wickedly.

"I want to see his face," he said.

"We will make it a whole display," the drone nodded. The breeder male was only laughing at the thought and moved to be with Sigyn. As much as he knew that he wanted to be on the island to help with the Hunters, the fetus was a major concern to him. He couldn't go anywhere until it was seen to.

Now with the new kitchen in motion to be built and prepared, Alex had just finished off an intense mating frenzy with Agatha. He was actually gasping for air by the time it was done.

"I love you," she whispered and nipped his neck. He hissed and ran a finger along her jaw. She was recovering as much as he was. At the returning nibble she got, she shivered.

"I love you, too," he muttered and kissed her again. "And don't think of getting the better of me! You know I'll always win."

"Oh? If that's the case," she said in a husky way. "tell me, then. How many women did you become? You never did answer that question for me."

"Fuck you, bitch!" he growled and bit her neck to hear her squeal. "I'll tell you how many I've killed instead. Will that work?"

"Not...the same..." she said with a soft chuckle. Then she cried out when he moved to claim her again. He always won conversations like these. This was his proof.


	112. Chapter 112

The next bit of action would happen when the new breeding eggs hatched. Vera was in her room doing a small puzzle when she glanced up at the breeder male that walked in. Dionysus had easily let the male in to approach her and claim her. He had a head of dark brown hair that came down to his shoulders. His nose was a touch large, but sloped downwards from a Grecian-style bump with an artistic look. Even his steel-grey eyes, and full, thinned out lips looked like something out of an oil painting. His build was incredibly buff from the blue vest and jean pants he wore. He grinned a set of white teeth at her, and she gaped with shock. She couldn't believe what her subconscious desired.

"Hello, Vera," he said warmly in a slightly deep tone. "I am Imhotep."

"Oh..." she whispered. He moved to sit next to her and put a casual arm around her blushing form. "You are...the one for me...?"

"I am. Are you not happy?"

"Oh, no! I am..." she seemed to titter.

"Do you want me to make you happier?" he whispered. At her harder blush, he chuckled and kissed her deeply. Now that their bond was being cemented, Mamoru was busy reading a small novel when a knock occurred on his door. Setting the book down and opening it, he could only stare at the slender, black-haired, blue pastel-eyed beauty gazing back at him. She was a bit shorter than him, but that was what he desired. Even her full, gently pursed lips were perfectly formed under her small, dainty nose.

" _I am Otohime,_ " she said with a soft blush. " _Can I enter?_ "

" _Yes. Ah...you were...made for me...?!_ " he seemed to gape.

" _I would not be here if I was not. Hmm?_ " she gave soft giggle. Her figure was fully proportioned under the sapphire-blue kimono she wore. " _Um...is something wrong?_ "

" _No! I just...didn't expect this..._ " he admitted and rubbed at his forehead.

" _Do I need to leave?_ "

" _Not at all! Just...give me a moment..._ "

" _So...you...want me to stay...?_ " she teased softly. At how he just kept watching her, she managed to close the door to the room and hug him. " _Do not fight me._ "

" _I'm not fighting. I'm just amazed._ "

" _How amazed?_ " she murmured. When he couldn't answer, she pulled his head down to kiss him solidly on the mouth. " _I want no other._ "

She was the one that dragged him to the bed. She had to take full control over this situation for now. Now that this bond was being sealed, the new breeder male, Sobek, was making his way to Claudia. Short, beach-blond hair and pastel blue eyes looked around casually while he walked. His loose, white shirt and comfort fit black jeans fit his lean, toned build perfectly. He sensed where she was and sat across from her in the mess hall.

"Eating alone?" he asked calmly in his stern, youthful tone.

"You are welcome to sit," she said with a small shrug. She hadn't even looked up to see him yet. When he pulled the tray away from her to get her attention, she looked up at him with shock. Then it was with solid surprise.

"Oh, good. You can see me," he joked lightly. "I'm Sobek. And...you are...?"

"Claudia," she whispered.

"Did you still want to eat?"

"Not really..." she mumbled. She felt a touch embarrassed now. He chuckled and rose up to stand next to her and hold out his hand.

"Want to show me your room?" he asked. At her hard blush, she found herself taking his hand and doing just that. He did press a warm kiss to her mouth and smiled, as he gave her a squeeze. She was completely speechless. "It's fine. We can talk later."

"Sure," she managed to mumble out, as they left the mess hall. With them now preoccupied, Layla and Fadil were still in the lab. She was finally on the verge of a full recovery. Fadil hadn't left her side to ensure it. After she had cemented her bond with her destined egg within Agatha, she had felt a touch ill. There was still much left over in her body that was healing. They glanced over and waved at the two figures that appeared before looking over again with a solid form of surprise.

"I am Horus," the male said with a stern ring of command. His hair was straight, jet-black and ended just past his shoulders. His steel-grey eyes held an aura of intensity, as he regarded Layla's condition in full. His dark, sun-tanned skin was neatly covered by a black shirt and pants outfit that revealed, yet covered his buffed form. "I will care for her now."

"Right," Fadil sighed. When he saw the female version of Horus standing next to him, he was only amazed that her eyes were her mother's pastel blues. Her hair even seemed to go to the floor. Those were the only two differences in features, other than her figure being completely female in nature from the white blouse and long skirt she wore.

"And I will take care of you," she said in a warm, honeyed tone. "I am Seshat. Come. We should talk and leave them be. You have a room?"

"Yes, I do," he nodded. He was just barely able to recall himself around the stunning beauty. He offered his arm, and she took it. When they left, Horus regarded Layla with a scrutinizing glare. But it was warm. Not at all as cold as she thought it would be.

"Layla," Horus sighed and walked over to her. "Are you healthy now?"

"I think so," she seemed to shiver. Then she worried her lips and began to cry. He moved to her side completely to hug her. "I don't...deserve you..."

"Yes, you do," he said gently and ran a hand over her back to calm her. "I will be good for you. I will help you recover. There is much that I can help you with. Do you have a bedroom yet? If not, I will have one made for us."

"I do not..." she admitted. At the kiss to her forehead, she cried even harder and he rocked her. She was doubtful that she would have gotten a husband like this. He ran a hand through her brown hair and dried her brown eyes of tears.

"No one will touch you," he vowed and placed his arms under her to carry her. A drone appeared to lead them to a new room for them. He nodded and carried her there. In Agatha's bedchamber, Alex was pleased at how smoothly that went.

"Good. The breeders found their respective humans and are fucking them silly," Alex smirked. "A rather interesting set of breeders, too."

"A relief," Agatha nodded. "Two more days?"

"About that long. I'll have Nick check on it," he muttered. As she reclined into him, Nick was now in the lab and studying the fetus. It had grown by leaps and bounds. It was now easy to see that it was male from the features. _And he looked almost exactly like Agatha._ It completely unnerved the drone.

As Nick turned away, the drone felt something poke its mind.  _And it wasn't my Liege._ Now the drone turned to glare at the fetus. "All right. You are strong enough to reach me. I am a drone. The first one made, and the strongest one. What do you want?"

_:Live...:_ Was the response Nick felt.  _:Want live...:_

"That may be hard to do. You are a male version of our Empress."

_:Sister...:_

"And what of my Liege? Her mate?"

_:Brother...:_ The fetus seemed to shiver.  _:Will not...harm...vow...:_

"Hmm. You have another day, if that, before you are born. You are seen as another viral strain. An abomination. I shall take into consideration what you have told me."

_:Thank you...:_ The fetal body twitched. Nick was disturbed at this. Even Alex felt a form of indecision now. _The male wanted to live. He wanted to prove that he was an ally._

"One fucking chance...I don't know if he should even have that..." Alex muttered.

"What?" Agatha asked.

"The fetus. He was able to talk to Nick. He wants to live. To see you as a sister, and me as a brother. But, we know that brothers and sisters can fuck each other. I refuse to allow it. And I won't let him have a female to make his own army, either!"

"I wouldn't recommend that. We will see what happens with that fetus."

"He may be hatching by tomorrow. His growth is accelerating."

"Odd."

"I know. But, we'll see how it goes," he snorted. The hive mind was perplexed at what Nick sent out. The fetus was going to be watched even more cautiously now. As always, it couldn't be helped.


	113. Chapter 113

Nearly two days went by before the fetus showed signs of adult movement. Agatha had just given birth to her drones before dressing and getting led to the chamber the fetus was held in. Alex was tense. He knew that the moment he felt any form of threat, he would be bearing his claws to kill it. Practically every male that was physically there was present. The entire hive mind was focused in on this event.

"How do you feel?" Agatha whispered to her mate.

"In a killing mood," he growled. She pressed a hand to his arm, and he nodded. At the way a tendril of hair moved to rest over his shoulders, he grumbled slightly, but he didn't push it off. He needed the focus. She wasn't going to back down from his side.

When the fetus finally showed signs of true life, it got released from the stasis tube that Ragland put it in. They both watched the male form grow and lengthen. He truly did look like he could have been Agatha's twin brother with male features.

His hair wasn't as long, though, and only came to the center of his back. His eyes were a touch darker in blue, and his jaw was a bit more square. Even his body was slightly more filled out. If he was attractive, Agatha showed no other signs. She had her mate. If anything, she saw him as an abomination. Another viral strain that consisted of her DNA that didn't truly belong to her or Alex. Alex only saw this thing as a solid threat.

"I want to help you," the male said. His voice was a near-exact replica of Agatha's, save that it was a completely male voice. He had the same ethereal tone that she had.

"And how, exactly, do you plan to do that?" Agatha asked.

"I can breed with any of the breeder females here. They will welcome me," he said.

"You are not touching Sigyn!" Hermanubis spat.

"Isis will detest you," Osiris said darkly.

"I refuse to allow you access to Athena," Apollo said bluntly.

"It appears that that particular service is not wanted," Agatha seemed to smirk.

"And don't even suggest to attempt at being with my mate!" Hermes growled.

"Or with mine..." Alex said with a twitch for control. "So, try again. How will you help us? Why should we let you live?"

"Let me have a female of my own, and I shall create a diversion," the male started. Alex snarled out savagely at this. Agatha sighed and shook her head.

"And should your brood become too powerful? It would be seen as an act of betrayal," she shrugged. "What more is there to say? There are so many of my children out there that everything you do will be cut short. Let's face it. You have no true purpose."

"Then...what more is there for me...?" he trembled and fell to his knees. Now Alex saw what would happen if Agatha ever thought that her usefulness was done.  _The male had no purpose._ He began to disintegrate. Dionysus gave a wince, but there truly was no use for him.

"I will consume you. And I will give you a new form as one of my sons," she whispered softly. Her hair gently moved to coil around the male to take him in to herself. "Alex..."

"Yes?" he muttered.

"Get one of the largest hearts ready for us. We are going to have another son," she murmured. Alex looked at her and smirked, as Nick was quick to get it done. "The moment he is consumed by me, you know what we need to do."

"Okay, fuckers. Get out," Alex snorted at the other males in the room. Robert sighed, laughed and shook his head, as he began to help push his many sons out of the room. The moment the large Hunter heart was delivered to them, Alex took it to hold it in his hands. When the male's body was gone, she glared at the heart and attacked it. He gave out a savage hiss and vented his killing mood on it with hard bites to eat it. After it was gone, he pulled her pants off to mate with her on the floor with her hair covering them in a mass of tendrils.

"Zeus..." she whispered and kissed him fully. "After this, I want to get your cells."

"I know you do," he mumbled and kept himself pressed against her.

"As you told me before, we need to finish this."

"Yeah. We do."

"We will finish this. And I'll be the one to land the killing blow."

"No. We talked about this," he growled.

"I need to earn my keep," she grinned softly.

"I'm fucking you senseless! You already earned it!" he grunted pressed himself harder into her to hear her gasp. Another ten minutes passed by before he was able to finally separate from her. He ran his hand over her belly and felt the developing egg.

"Think it will be twins? Like Loki and Asteria?" she smiled.

"Possibly," he smiled and gathered her up in his arms to lift her off the floor when her hair pulled away. "And don't worry. You will always have a purpose, Hera."

"I will?" she asked softly.

"Yes. I will never want you to leave my side. Your purpose is for me," he nodded and carried her back to their room. Nick would grab her discarded pants to bring to them.

"I am glad. That I have a purpose..." she muttered as exhaustion set in from the rapidly developing egg. She was set down in the bed, and he noticed that she was already at that point to birth it. It developed much faster than any other egg, but this one was special. At her shout of birthing pains, he nodded to show that he was ready. When she tried to push, she cried out in shock.  _It was too big to be normally birthed._ It was the largest egg she ever had so far.

"Fuck! Hold on!" Alex hissed, scooped her up, and ran with her back to the lab.

"What is it?" Hedeyasu blinked.

"This egg is too fucking big! I need to do a cesarean! Now!" Alex shouted. Ragland ran over with a tray of surgical tools. Agatha was whimpering and gasping for control. She was given a cloth to bite down on, and she gave out a muffled scream from the incision being done. "We're almost done. Hang in there...!"

"Hariti would be here, but she's almost at eight days," Ragland frowned.

"I'm here!" Nick said. "I'll take over!"

"Good," Ragland nodded. Nick now supported her head, and Alex was quick to make the proper cuts to carefully extract the massive egg. It was clearly twins once again. But, the hair color was reversed. Alex's son had Agatha's hair. His daughter had his black hair.

"Interesting," Nick muttered. The drone now focused on soothing Agatha, as her body regenerated. Kim had a large steak delivered to wait on the side. Alex now moved to his mate's side to run a gentle hand over her healing womb.

"You were right," Alex said to her.

"About what?" she whispered.

"We have twins again," he smiled. She blushed, and he pulled her close to kiss her.

"After they hatch, we will get my cells. Eat and heal up for me," he muttered in her ear.

"Yes. I want this done."

"You and me both. And don't worry. We will finish this. Together."


	114. Chapter 114

When the new twins hatched, Loki was there to help welcome them. Like him and Asteria, the new twins formed a stronger link to bridge the hive minds together. This was a bit of a relief to Agatha and Alex. The thoughts that they heard were much stronger now. And, more importantly, Agatha was completely whole.

Her body was now at a point that she was graceful and fluid in all of her movements. No matter what she did, she gave an aura of grace and power. She still had the rest of the Hunter hearts to eat, but that was fine. Everything was finally sealed for her. She was flawless in her final structure. And Alex was simply too pissed off that he couldn't touch her until he got his cells. It was only too clear.

"What do we know?" Alex growled in the conference room. All of the screens were lit up. "Do we have an idea on where this base is located?"

"We do have an excellent pin-point," Osiris nodded. "Our drone finally woke up without any hindrances. It was able to find out where it was taken. That old map that we found in the main guy's house was the key. An abandoned railway station was converted into the lab. There are small pockets of these all over."

"Good. How many ways in?" Alex asked.

"Four. And we have Hunters in each area hiding away," Hermanubis smirked.

"Excellent. Where is the easiest way to get in?" Alex grounded out.

"Much to our surprise, it's the surface streets," Osiris said. "An old railroad has a set of stairs that go straight down. But, it is heavily guarded, of course. We have drones infiltrating the station as we speak. A few go in, wait, and take over a few guards the moment they have an opening. We'll have the entire front area under our control in under an hour."

"Perfect," Alex mused.

"How are Pontus and Thalassa doing?" Hypnos asked.

"They are doing well," Alex nodded. "Although, I think Pontus retained a few memories of what he was before. He's...relieved...that he has a purpose now."

"I was worried about him," Dionysus admitted. "It shows what could happen to Mother."

"Mother will always have a purpose," Apollo said sternly.

"It almost happened before," Hermes frowned. "But, we need to refocus."

"That we do," Alex agreed. "Your mother wants to accompany us. Ragland has gathered up some of her blood now in case something happens. I left a part of myself here, and Nick has a piece of me, too. Anyone who plans to join us needs to leave a part of themselves."

"Did you want me to show up?" Cronus asked.

"Hmm," Alex thought. "No. But, after I get my cells, I want you Kings back here for a brief reunion. And to build trust. We are all going to pay a little visit to the head fuck when this is done. Then we all need to focus on global exposure. And...remember..."

"We know. We don't touch Mother," Coeus nodded.

"I have Ran. I'm fine," Oceanus muttered out.

"Good. We have an understanding," Alex smirked. "Osiris, how long would it take for us to get to this base?"

"If we leave now, less than an hour," he said.

"Should Father go with you?" Dionysus asked.

"No. But, he can join us when we all go to end it fully," Alex nodded. "I'll prepare to leave. Prepare the submarine. We need to head out now."

"Agreed," Hermanubis said and rose up from his chair quickly. Screens flicked off, and drones were in a flurry of movement to prepare several submarines for travel. Alex found Agatha watching everything on the loading docks. She looked at him and smiled warmly when he came up to her to kiss her hard. She was wearing her two-piece camouflage suit again, and it had to be altered to support her voluptuous figure. He was completely tense now when he pulled her against him.

"We shouldn't do anything until all of this is over," she mused at the groping he gave her.

"Hard to do, since I can't keep my hands off you," he growled out in her ear to feel her shiver. "Maybe a quick fucking is what we need."

"Really?" she asked and laughed. "A quick fuck to you is more than thirty minutes. There is no quick fuck. Actually, no. We did a quick fuck to make our twins."

"Want to do it again?" he grinned.

"As much as I want to," she giggled and gasped at his hot breath on her neck down to her cleavage. "We need to wait. You know this, too."

"This is why we can't travel together," he growled.

"Then maybe I should dress in full to keep you from wanting to touch me," she grinned.

"And this is why we can't have nice things," he scowled lightly at her. "I can't help it if your old clothes give me a constant hard-on!"

"You are a hard-on," she smirked. At the look he gave her now, she barked out laughter.

"There are other things you can do," Nick muttered when it walked over to them.

"Fuck you," Alex warned at the grinning drone. "Don't be another Osiris!"

"Nick's just trying to help," she chuckled. At the goose to her rump and the small squeal she gave, he grinned a touch wickedly. "That doesn't help!"

"It helps me," Alex chuckled and shrugged.

"We are ready to go," Robin said, as it moved its massive size over to them. "The submarine for our Empress is stocked and waiting."

"About time," she smiled. "Thank you, Robin. Are the others ready?"

"Yes. Kim has the galley stocked. Aden is running technical scans. Eddie is at the helm. I shall guard your bedroom. And we know that Nick will run errands for you," the drone nodded. "The moment you give word, we will go."

"Good. Let's go," Alex grunted. He placed a solid hand on her rump to squeeze, and she gave him a small look of irritation.

"Nick," she said to the drone. "I want you to keep him busy and away from me."

"What?!" Alex growled.

"We can't fuck, Zeus!" she growled back. "Trust me. I want to jump your bones as badly as you want to do it to me. But we can't. If I'm caught with eggs in me, we're fucked! It's not even a seven hour trip! It's less than one! So, if you can put up with mild snuggles, cuddles, and touching, then it will be fine. Hell, I'm sure there's plenty of puzzles that we can do. Will that work for you?"

"Fine," he growled. Nick sighed, but laughed all the same. Alex followed her into the submarine and let Robin close the small door behind them when they got to the bedchamber. Then he tackled her, much to her complete dismay.

"Zeus!" she gasped.

"If I get you pregnant, you're staying on this fucking sub!" he snarled and nearly tore her clothes off. "I'll go into the base and fuck it up, but I won't touch the cells. You will get them for me after you give birth."

"Asshole! You knew this!" she spat and fought back. "You fucking had this planned!"

"I'm your mate, Hera," he grinned wickedly and easily positioned her to start taking her. "And, admit it. You want this, too!"

"You...son of a bitch!" she hissed and cried out with her own shout of need.

"I'm not your son, but you're definitely a bitch," he smirked in her ear.

"This wasn't...what I..." she gasped, as the pleasure consumed her.

"I can't have you discovered, Hera," he whispered in her ear. "Not until we know we are ready. I can't take that risk. Yes, you'll be with me. But, I can't have you go into a fully functional base unless it's under our control."

"But..." she panted and cried out at the feel of his viral skin against hers.

"Let me continue to protect you," he muttered roughly in her ear. "Yes. You're whole. But shit can change easily. Trust me, Hera. Let me do what I can for you."

She was clinging to him now. She had no control over it. As much as she wanted to be pissed, she was actually pleased. It was what she was aiming for, anyways. She wanted to be with him on this trip. It didn't matter if she was pregnant. As long as she was at his side on this crucial mission, then she didn't care. She was going to insist on going straight to the last place they had to go to as well. The eggs they made would hatch in the base and take full control with the rest of the hive. With a sigh, she said, "Fine. But, if we fly to this last place, you can't fuck me. It would be impossible."

"Bullshit. What do you think the mile-high club is for?" he snickered. At her gaping jaw of shock, he kissed her passionately. The mating frenzy they shared easily lasted all the way until they got to the New York base. When the submarine docked at the port, various drones moved quickly to secure it and refuel it. Almost all of the service engineers there were drones. Agatha was easily impregnated now. Alex judged that he had a seven hour time limit now to get into the base, secure it, and get back to her to help her give birth. He always loved a challenge.


	115. Chapter 115

Agatha was a touched pissed off. She really did want to run into the base with him. Nick could only console her, as Alex left the submarine. A limousine cab was waiting for him with another drone as the driver. He waited in it patiently for Osiris, Isis, Hermanubis, and Sigyn to join him from another submarine. When the car began to move, Alex regarded them.

"Yes, I fucked her. Yes, she's pregnant. No, she's not happy. We secure the base first. Then I get back to her to help her give birth. After that, she comes in to secure my cells. The moment that's done, your father gets to go to the surface to meet up with us at our final destination. That's the plan," he said bluntly.

"Sounds solid to me," Osiris nodded. "Anyways, we're clear to get into the base. We have a human bound down for you to take over to learn some memories and disguise yourself."

"What do we know so far?" Alex asked.

"Well, the base is pretty high-tech. We found your quarantined cells. They produced quite a few of them, sadly to say. But, you'll love this, the moment our drone woke up, it was able to take over the one examining it. Since they only used clones, the effect to take the form of a clone is temporary. Not sure why, since our clones are rather permanent when we make them. We'll have to think on that one, but...eh, the human was...very surprised."

"Good to know. As for the clones only lasting a short while, we'll look into that later. Anyways, who was the human?"

"One of the cloning techs. When our drone began to shift back, tests were going to be run. Needless to say, all tests were botched as failures when our drone woke up. The tech also had a faint idea of where the base was. We found the base that way. We are going in through the main entrance. There are three emergency exits. We have Hunters based at each one. Just give the word, and we wake them up. And they'll be pissed at the way the rats are biting at them," Osiris grinned wickedly. "They may react like that one did in the Amazon jungles."

"Very good to know..." Alex mused with a smirk. The moment the limousine parked, they were all out and heading to the destined area. A drone pulled out the bound man for Alex, and he glared into the shaking man's face. "Is he important?"

"No. Just a lab tech," Isis smirked. They were all disguised except for Alex. That quickly changed. Now with a new face and form, they moved quickly to the hidden elevator to get sent down several hundred feet. Drones awaited them to escort them to a viewing bay.

"Who are you?!" a high-ranking scientist with balding hair scowled at Osiris's form.

"I'm Commander John Murlow. I'm the one funding your whole damned operation! I was told to see how everything started," Osiris growled. "So, I was brought here. And, yes, I know that George Copperstone is the one that founded all of this. He needed funds. He sent one of your lackeys to me. Yes, he knows I'm here. I want to see the prototype cells that started all of this. I have clearance."

"Oh. You're the one backing us. Okay," the man said. When he turned, Alex was quick to consume him. Osiris grinned widely with Hermanubis.

"Good," Alex muttered in his newly attained form. "Hermanubis. Scout ahead three halls and turn left. Sigyn. Help him clear a path, if needed. Isis. Osiris. Go to the main control center to start taking it over. As for me...I'm going to start raising Hell."

"E.T.A?" Hermanubis asked.

"Ten minutes. Bonus points if you get under five," Alex grinned. The breeders grinned back and dispersed quickly. Drones were directed via the hive link to infiltrate every nook and cranny. When Alex found the cloning chamber, he was greatly impressed.  _This base would easily be preserved and filled with main hive members. Maybe even a new King and Queen to keep it secured. Sif was getting close to becoming an adult at fourteen days old. This will become her new home with her chosen King. Granted, there were plenty of other bases now, but this one was vital. It had to be inhabited quickly to keep it in use._

_I could use the developing clones, too. It would be easy to simply recruit them and implant our own missions into their empty minds. They would work alongside the drones._  And, much to his surprise, the clones were fertile. The scientists left that genetic trait active for amusement and research purposes. The hive no longer needed to hunt for studs and viable females, if they didn't want to. Of course, they still would. Many humans would do what they could for a better lifestyle. It was a given.

_:My Emperor!:_ Hypnos said in the link.  _:A call was just sent out to George Copperstone! He is aware of John's visit! One of my drones in his main home just heard what happened.:_

_:Where is the one that made the call?:_ Alex said dangerously.

_:Main mess hall!:_ Isis said quickly. Alex grew out his claws and bolted down the labyrinth of passages with the mental map Isis gave him. The short man had no chance when Alex cut him down. The best part was that the phone call was still active.

"Hello?! What's going on?!" George said.

"False alarm, boss," Alex sighed, as he reverted back to the scientist he took over. "Julian was always a prankster. I don't even know how he got your number!"

"Is John Murlow really there?!"

"No. Like I said, it's all a false alarm. The clones are developing as perfectly as the last ones. Our mission is still a go."

"Good. Take care of Julian for me. Also, I want that FBI clone ready within the hour."

"Yes, Sir. I will take care of both things personally," Alex promised and hung up the phone. _Julian was already taken care of. But, what's going on with the FBI clone? What's going on that I didn't know of?_ He sent the message through the link to find out.

_:My drone knows what's up.:_ Coeus said.  _:There is a secret documentation with artifacts of a new UFO crash. George wants DNA samples to clone his own hybrid aliens.:_

_:Fuck. That.:_ Alex snorted.  _:The way we are, we don't need another sci-fi twist in our lives! We burn all the shit we find from that. Like_ hell _am I going to have experiments run on anything that isn't from us!:_

_:It would be interesting, love.:_ Agatha mused to him secretly.

_:Hera, it would be a goat fuck for us. The last thing we would want is an invasion from who the fuck knows what! Trust me on this.:_

_:You're no fun! Where's your sense of adventure?:_

_:Hera...putting up with you is_ always _an adventure.:_ He mused. At her sense of pouting, he sighed.  _:Love, put this into perspective. We already have control over what we know we can control. We don't need unknown DNA running rampant in our growing family. It could convert and turncoat on us. How about this. We will confiscate it. But, we will not use it on any of us. We can test it on Hunters and human tissues. Maybe even plants.:_

_:That can work. I just don't want to let an opportunity slip past us. Zeus, even you want to keep these humans on their toes!:_ She giggled. That had him chuckle.  _She had a point there._ Dropping the conversation with her after promising to be there for her birthing, he went back to the issue in front of him. Drones were now ordered to get the FBI clone working, but to give it orders to report directly to Alex after the DNA samples were secured. That part was easily arranged. The hive mind was a bit surprised at this, but they went with it. What he wanted, he would get. And, on learning it was Agatha's idea, they went with it even more.

Within an hour, the rest of the base was combed through. When panic ensued, and the survivors tried to flee, the Hunters were released to force them back inside. The remaining staff were rounded up, bound down, and set in chairs for questioning.

"In here," Hermanubis nodded to Alex and opened a door. When he walked in, he dropped the scientist guise to see the remaining twenty humans cringe and whimper.

"I'm Alex. Project Zeus. The one and only," he spat out. "I came here, because you all have stolen parts of me. I'm here to get them back."

"We only did what we were told..." a female scientist whispered.

"I know. The lot of you lived, because you were caught before we could kill you. So, I'll give you all a choice. A mandatory one," he smirked. "And, no, we aren't letting any of you go. It would jeopardize our mission here."

"I have kids! A wife!" a male scientist said quickly. Alex looked over at a drone, and blood was quickly taken from the man to glean some memories.

"You're a fucking liar!" Alex snarled out savagely. "Yes. With one drop of blood, I can see your memories. You lied all your fucking life! I won't have liars in my company. Kill him! Don't take blood from him, either. He'll fuck up future clones."

"No! Wait! I...!" the man begged, but he ended up screaming when the drone took him over in full. One of the other female scientists fainted from the sight. She was revived quickly to hear the new mandatory choice.

"Join my family. Do as I say. Lose all contact with the outside world. You will live. Choose to not accept this, you die. That's your choice. You all have four hours to decide. No, we are not releasing you to walk around."

"How do you treat others that join?" the first female scientist asked.

"With mild respect," Osiris nodded. "We treat you as family. You can ask any others that joined us. You could even get a husband. That will increase your respect with us, too."

"I'm in," she said with a stern nod. "I always got treated like a lab rat everywhere else. If I'm going to be another lab rat, at least I'll be treated fairly."

"Hannah! You can't be serious!" an elderly female scientist scowled.

"Shut up, Mirabel! You're the biggest bitch I ever met!" Hannah snapped. Alex nodded, and Hannah was freed. Blood was taken from her quickly to glean her memories, and she proved her loyalty and truthfulness. She had a slender figure with soft, blond hair and brown eyes. She also bore small scars from the ordeals she had to put up with for the others.

"Take her in another room and away from the cattle," Alex muttered. "And the rest of you will need to decide. When I come back, you'd better have a decision ready. Because, once you make it, there is no going back. All decisions are final."

He turned and left swiftly now. Hannah was going to be transported to the underwater base in a waiting submarine. He wanted to get back to his mate. At the mental decision done, he was quickly escorted out of their newly acquired base.

"What would you have us do now?" Osiris asked.

"Keep an eye on the humans. Coax them into joining, or just kill them in a separate room, if they show they want no part of us. Also, find out what is going on with George. I want to know where he's next scheduled to be in the next few hours. The sooner we get rid of the surviving humans here, the sooner we can get this last location dealt with. And, yes, get that FBI clone up and running. If we want to keep your mother happy, then we better get what she wants," Alex snorted.

"And, how often have we heard you say that?" the breeder male grinned.

"Too many times to count. Now move your ass!" Alex retorted and hopped into the limousine cab to take him back to Agatha.


	116. Chapter 116

Ten of the scientists joined them. The rest were killed. The ones that did join were young, abused by the older staff, and dying for a scrap of dignity of any kind. They were easy to talk to and befriend. Now that the base was theirs, Alex was able to help Agatha give birth the moment she was ready. Only after she was healed did he take her into the base to let her retrieve his cells. She scoured everywhere for his DNA signature. She was able to detect him easily.

"Here," she smiled and handed over several test tubes, vials, and Petri dishes with cultured samples of him. He consumed all of it. Not sensing any others, she nodded, and he hugged her tight to him. "You're welcome."

"I was going to thank you," he muttered and kissed her ravenously. "I think a Hunter is still alive. Want to watch me kill it?"

"Why don't I kill it instead?" she grinned.

"We both can," he snickered. She nodded, and he led her to where the living Hunter was just outside an emergency exit. She launched her tendrils of hair to coil around its limbs and snap the bones in them. When it screamed in pain, another tendril shot down its throat to pierce through the entrails directly. Alex didn't even have a chance to leap onto it.

"You were too slow," she smirked at him and brought the heart out from its dead mouth.

"Bitch!" he scowled. At the savage bite she did to the heart now, he found himself grinning. Drones were already taking it apart to salvage the meat. Any parts of the Hunter that appeared to be bitten into by rats would be cut away and incinerated. Alex did notice that a few rats seemed to have gotten larger. That had him grin a bit wickedly.  _If giant rats were going to be a problem, my drones could become exterminators for the city. Sewers led anywhere and everywhere. It was free access that way._ He didn't even flinch when a rat leapt at him and got skewered by a claw.

"Oh, look! You killed something!" Agatha laughed, as she finished the heart.

"Fuck you!" Alex snorted to get her laughing again.

"Promise?" she mused and wiggled her rear at him. He growled at that and moved to fling her onto his shoulder. Then he ran back into the base with her. On seeing Osiris and Hermanubis, he stopped in his run.

"Fine. Fucking will have to wait. We need a Chinook here. I want this last place covered. Are we ready to go?" Alex asked. He didn't bother to put her down just to piss her off. When she struggled, he spanked her to set her off even more. "No. I'm not putting you down. You deserve this for killing that piece of shit without me!"

"Oh, don't even!" she growled and tried to pinch at his back. The only problem with that was how tough his viral clothing was. He didn't feel it. "This isn't fair!"

"I think it is. Now shut the fuck up so I can think on what to do next!" he growled at her. She swore heavily now and started to kick out. "You guys may want to back off a bit."

"Right," Hermanubis said and suppressed a laugh.

"Empty room is just down the hall," Osiris muttered.

"Thanks," Alex nodded and clamped his arms on her tighter to keep her on his shoulder.

"Alex! Put me down!" she seethed. When her hair started to react by coiling around him, he ignored it.  _She won't hurt me. It was all for show._ He knew she was enjoying it.

"The only place you're getting set down is in my lap on a chair," he snorted.

"Come on, Alex!" she sighed with dismay.

"Nope. You asked for it. This is what you get," he smirked, as he walked with her now. When her hands started to move under his viral clothing, he tensed. "Hera..."

"What? I have nothing else to do," she shrugged and felt him tense even more when her hands trailed lower. He growled at the teasing and finally set her down in a room on a newly abandoned floor. "What are you doing?"

"Stay put," he muttered.  _Something felt wrong now. Very wrong._

"Oh, no!" she said defiantly. She rose up and found herself plastered against a wall with his viral tissues. Now she went into shock. He never did that to her before. "Zeus...?"

"Hera...!" he winced and gasped. Now she saw why he did it.  _The cells he consumed were fighting him. He didn't want to hurt me._  She sent an alarm through the hive mind. Nick was the first one in the room to move in front of her immobilized form to protect her.  _The Kings could see this as an act of weakness._ Robin, Aden, Eddie, and Kim were quick to appear next at Nick's mental call. Alex was fighting the new instinct to kill her. That she was an antivirus to him, and his natural enemy. She did the only other thing she could do.

_:We are equals._ _:_ She mentally sent to him.  _:_ _You forced me to your side first. To become your equal half. I fought you. There was no escape for me. Like_ hell _will there be any escape for you! Grow a fucking pair and use them! We've come so far together, and, if you think that a set of tiny fucking cells are going to rip you away from me, then you'd better fucking change your mind! We. Are. Mates. Partners. Equals. You want proof? Let me down._ _:_

He glared at her, but he knew what she was doing. He was grateful for it. He leapt over the drones, much to their shock, and removed the viral tissues. He sunk his claws into either side of her to keep him locked into the steel wall to give her a chance to fight back. But, to his shock, she didn't fight him. Then he gasped at the soft caress she gave his cheek. At the look of trust and love she gave him, he panted for control. Then she remembered that he consumed new cells.  _They had never been exposed to me. At least, not yet._

"Nick. Cut my finger open. Now," she ordered. The drone was quick to comply. Then she shoved her bleeding finger into Alex's mouth. Her blood seared through him as though he swallowed a hot coal. The new cells in him couldn't handle it. They were destroyed safely in his body and recycled. When the shivering stopped, she withdrew her newly healed finger and hugged him to her. "Don't fucking scare me like that again."

"Never happen," he mumbled and kissed her fiercely. With his status safely restored, and a seething glare given through the hive link to show he was whole, she was safe with him again. He tore his claws free and ravished her mouth with his, as he done so many other times before. He had to claim her. To prove they were still equals. Robin moved to stand outside the door to keep others from trying to get in. For an hour, the drone stood there silently.

"Think the helicopter is here?" she murmured in his arms.

"Don't fucking care..." he growled and nibbled her chin. "If it is, we'll take our time flying. But, I did want the Kings to get together first."

"Do it here. Have them come here. There are plenty of empty chambers now. The young Queens won't come to harm. It will give that FBI clone enough time to wake up and do what we need it to do, too. That and we can get Robert up here to take him to the last area, too. Yes, I know you wanted to go there. I did, too. But, we need the Kings to trust each other first. They can come here an hour after each other. They will, most likely, scent each other. Cronus will come in first. Then Hypnos. Let them shake hands. Then Oceanus to meet them one at a time. Then Coeus. Other new Kings will have to do the same thing," she said.

"I like that idea," he said and rolled on the floor to let her rest on top of him. "We can do that. I'm still a bit surprised at myself."

"For seeing me as the enemy?" she mused.

"Everything was fine until we got into this room. Then I just felt that something wasn't right," he muttered and wrapped an arm around her. "Those fucking cells were trying to override what I already had. They were, in a sense, my pure cells."

"Well, now they're dead."

"That they are."

"You did look like you were in pain."

"I was. Your blood seared me from the inside out. I needed it, too."

"I know you did," she nodded and kissed him deeply. "None can ever replace you, Zeus. I know that, if any breeder male or King even attempted to try, I would have killed them. Only you are able to counter me."

"It had better fucking stay that way!" he growled and hissed at the nibble she gave his ear. "I'll have the Kings come here. Robert will be sent here, too. We'll have plans set up on when and where to touch base at that main fuck's house. I want to be ready to go by the time you give birth again. After that's done, we'll finish all of this."

"You keep saying that," she chuckled. "Do you mean it?"

"I do. And I want you at my side when it's all done," he said, as he gazed into her eyes. "I mean every fucking word."

"I would expect no less," she smiled and let him kiss her again for the plans to be underway and carried through.


	117. Chapter 117

Cronus was impressed with the base when he walked in. Rhea was quick to select a room for their temporary stay. They both decided to wear near-matching outfits of dark brown to black leathers to show off their statuses as First King and Queen. Cronus pressed a kiss to her forehead. She knew he was nervous. The Kings needed their Queens there to help give them the support needed to face each other. Scented cloth from the other Kings were readily provided to help them prepare for the encounters. Alex and Agatha were in a large viewing chamber to ensure that there would be enough seating for everyone. Their honor guard was quick to cater to them and see to their every need.

Agatha watched Cronus carefully, as she ate in a graceful way. It had been some time since he had last seen her, and she was quite wary of how he thought of her. Even Rhea kept constant watch over her mates' mind. Even when she went to greet her grandmother to hug her and smile at her, she was watchful. At how Alex bared his teeth and seemed to snarl, any thoughts that Cronus had about his mother were gone. He paled even more than he already was.

"Watch it," Alex warned with a glare. "You won't be the only King here soon. Remember that. Go find a room. Prepare yourself. And, if you pick a fight with anyone...you'll be picking a fight with me after. And remember.  _I know how to win!_ "

"Yes, my Emperor," Cronus said with a small swallow. The last thing he wanted was to get cut off from the hive mind again. His drones were quick to assist him with his belongings. Like Agatha, each Queen and King had their own personal guard. Cronus was completely on edge now. Even as he tried to relax in the room provided, he felt as though he had to earn Alex's respect. He did the only thing he could, and that was get used to the other scents. Rhea was quick to join him to help him get by.

When Robert arrived, Alex was surprised to find Dionysus and Apollo with him. Hermes had to stay with Dana. Athena and Aphrodite also stayed behind.

"They insisted," Robert sighed.

"Someone had to help you remember who you are," Dionysus chuckled.

"And you bitched the whole way here," Apollo muttered.

"I did not!" Dionysus scowled.

"You will both be bitching, if I end up smacking you both upside the heads. Now shut up and act your age. Oh, wait..." Robert blinked and laughed. "you already are!"

"Not funny!" Dionysus grumbled. "I may be a few months old, but I don't need diapers."

"You will if you fuck up around me," Alex growled. He was still in a rather protective mood from Cronus being around. Both breeder males nodded obediently and went quiet. "I'm tense. I'm pissed. And, if any of those Kings look at your mother in any way other than neutrality, they'll be holding their innards as they leave."

"I'm sure they will be fine," Robert said. "Okay. So, Cronus is here. Who is next to show up? Hypnos? Is that the order?"

"Yes. Hypnos. Then Oceanus and Coeus last. Ah, fuck! Sif is close to getting her King, too! I forgot," Alex winced. "She's about sixteen days old now."

"That she is," Agatha said from where she sat. "We could bring her here with an egg. But, we don't know which one will take to her, do we?"

"We don't. And I know that, the moment we take you home, more Kings will be birthed and set aside. Fuck it. She'll wait for her King when we get back," Alex muttered. At Agatha's sudden, giddy laugh, he asked, "What happened?"

"Huiling just gave birth to a Queen!" Agatha beamed at the excited thoughts she got. "And I know I'll be giving out a few King eggs. Hariti is next to have her daughter birthed, too. Oh! They are going to name Huiling's new baby Theia. She's a very pretty baby, too! I can't wait to meet her."

"Good," Alex nodded.  _Another Queen meant another army increase soon._

"It will be fun with the five that got pregnant in the same day. You can only imagine what those Kings will be like," Robert grinned.

"Fuck you," Alex growled at him. "It will be another pain in the ass to deal with."

"But, all those Kings will easily fill up the other bases that were made," Robert said. "And, remember, we did make a special meeting chamber for other Kings. The more that meet each other before leaving, the less to worry about."

"Fine," Alex sighed. "Anyways, Hypnos is here."

"That I am," Hypnos nodded, as he walked over. An hour had easily passed by from all the gossip and tense thoughts. Eir was with him, and they were wearing a classic form of Victorian style dress. He was actually convinced to try and go with a touch of the steampunk style dress. As much as he did like it, it just wasn't him. Eir was embracing it, though. With the way her corset dress looked, he was forced to go with something that had a mild cape over his body with elaborately made boots. Even his glasses looked exotic by being gold-tinted steel with diamond-cut rims. Agatha thought it was delightful.

"Is it a costume party?!" Dionysus asked.

"You're already a whiny bitch. No need to elaborate your style," Apollo muttered.

"Kill joy," Dionysus retorted under a muttered breath.

"Both of you! Quit it! I swear! If it's not Dionysus and Hermes, it's the two of you!" Robert growled at them. Then he pointed at Dionysus. "Maybe you should have stayed home!"

"Me?!" Dionysus gaped.

"Yes. You," Robert seemed to glare. "Don't make me treat you like a two-year-old and tan your ass with my hand! I'm sure you'd like that better than what Alex has planned!"

"My sons," Agatha finally said and pushed her empty dish away for Kim to take up. "there is no need to bicker for naught. Come and sit by me. Tell me of what you think of this base. Let's turn the banters into general conversation."

"Yes, Mother," Dionysus smiled. Robert only sighed with relief at her quick interjection.

"I can do that," Apollo nodded. When her belly started to stretch, a dark red lounge sofa was brought in for her to rest on. Alex was quick to lay back on it first for her to stretch onto him. It helped keep him calm and collected. As the Kings needed their Queens, he needed her.

"Just rest," Agatha whispered to her mate. She let him press his forehead against her neck, as he gleaned the thoughts of the hive mind. He didn't fail to notice how Hypnos forced himself to regain control at the scent of Cronus in the air. At that, he sat up.

"Get Cronus. Have them meet. Now," Alex ordered. "If they fight, then they fight me."

"Yes, my Liege," Aden nodded and went to get Cronus. Alex forced himself to relax again. Hypnos clearly looked nervous, but he had been preparing for this a lot longer than the others. The moment he was able to, he had started to train himself to tolerate the other scents. Eir got squeezed by him, and she moved to sit off a bit to nod and show her support.

"You can do this," she smiled.

"I know," Hypnos said in his deep tone. When Cronus appeared, the two Kings stared at each other with instinctive hatred. Cronus was the first King. Hypnos saw him as competition right away. Cronus's silver-steel grey eyes bore into Hypnos's black, cat-like eyes. They both stiffened up in challenge. When Alex gave a small, seething hiss, it snapped them back into focus. He crushed their instinctive challenges to each other.

"Hypnos," Cronus said calmly in his echoed tone.

"Cronus," Hypnos responded in kind. At a glance to how their Queens were gossiping happily with each other like nothing was wrong, it made them realize that they could do this. Much like how Oceanus and Coeus were, they forced themselves to get closer to each other. A tense minute passed by them, but they were able to shake hands. That had the instinct die down considerably. The only problem was that it would always be there around Cronus. It was something that couldn't be helped. He would always be seen as competition.

"Good. Now sit down and wait for Oceanus," Alex said. They both nodded to him and were able to sit side by side neutrally.

"It is good to meet you," Cronus chuckled to Hypnos. "Rhea loves the puzzles you sent."

"Good! Has she solved them yet?" Hypnos smiled.

"A few. Not all of them. Don't worry. The moment she does, I'll let you know," Cronus nodded. Hypnos grinned lightly in a regal way. He actually resembled more of a King, but looks didn't have to be all that. Cronus was a King just by the vibe he gave off. It made up for what details he clearly lacked.

They were offered something to eat, which they did accept. Their Queens were very happy and relieved that everything went so well. Agatha mused to herself and asked, "Did their studs come with them?"

"No. They don't expect to be breeding. If they did, it would be safer for drones to be left behind than breeders," Dionysus said to her. "They talked about this extensively before coming here. It made the most sense."

"True," Alex mumbled, as he rested against her. When Oceanus walked into the base, both Kings were up and out of their seats. They no longer saw each other as a threat, but Oceanus was one they hadn't physically met yet. Ran appeared first and was pulled into the hug from Rhea and Eir. Oceanus had been mentally preparing himself for this. There were no more options for Kings to prepare.  _They simply had to be ready._

"Oceanus?" Ran frowned and moved to his side when he walked stiffly into the room. He had resorted to wearing dark brown to black leathers, much like Cronus, but they were looser to suit his swift movements. Ran was dressed the same, but in a lighter way.

"Their scents..." he muttered.

"They are allies," she smiled and kissed him. "Like Coeus. You know this. Go and greet your brothers. I am with you."

"I know," he nodded. His stormy ocean eyes glared mildly at the other two Kings glaring back at him. But, he had experience in this. He went through this with Coeus.

Robert watched the three Kings edge close together and force a handshake to each other. After that, the mood lightened up considerably.

"One more to go," Hypnos sighed.

"Father did have a point," Cronus muttered. "Five Kings will be made at once. That may be difficult. It's hard enough with just one!"

"But, we see the rewards of this happening," Hypnos said.

"One on one. Only way," Oceanus said. "Any more than that...bloodshed..."

"That we do know," Cronus agreed. "At least our mates are better at this."

"They grew up together. It's a given," Hypnos chuckled. At that said, the Queens went to their respective Kings to giggle and gossip. Oceanus was a wall of silence, but it was expected. Alex glanced up from where he was resting with Agatha and smirked.

"Coeus is on his way now. The lot of you better get ready," Alex warned.

"You love riling them up, don't you?" Agatha grinned.

"Fuck yes," he grinned back and kissed her passionately. "Someone has to give them a reality check. And, yes, I know I'll have to give one to Theia when I see her walking about."

"Best to get that done," Dionysus nodded.

"Should have given one to you," Alex snorted.

"I do nothing wrong!" he argued.

"You're back talking me. For one," Alex glared. That had Dionysus pale, and Apollo started laughing softly. Hermes was only scowling that he wasn't there. Robert bit his knuckles to stay quiet.  _Dionysus did have it coming._

"My Emperor," Hermanubis said when he walked over to sit by them. "We have complete maps to the ins and outs of George's home now. The moment you give word, we can go. I know we have to wait for Coeus. That's fine. But, what will happen with the Queens?"

"They shall wait on the Chinook. Or whatever helicopter we use," Alex said sternly. "They don't fight. They don't intervene. There will be a swarm of drones around them at all times. No choice in the matter."

"My Emperor," Oceanus said when he suddenly appeared in front of him to kneel down. "I do not want Ran to be with us. I want her here. She is safer. I won't have to worry. The others also agree to this. There is plenty of food here for them. And water. As well as other things. Hypnos also brought by more puzzles specifically for this."

"If they will be neatly entertained, then they can stay here," Agatha nodded. Then she glared at Alex and said, "But don't  _you_  fucking dare say that I'm not going!"

"I wasn't planning on saying that. I was going to ask you this. What limb did you want to tear off first?" Alex grinned. That got her grinning back, and he shifted at the feel of her growing belly. He had to rest alongside of her now. He didn't want to hamper the growth of his drones. When he looked up at Coeus, Oceanus was there to greet him neutrally. This showed the other two Kings right away that he was an ally. It was much easier to shake hands all around.

"That's the key, isn't it?" Robert asked.

"It is. One of them meets the others first. Then the other Kings will know he's trustworthy. This is beneficial," Alex nodded. "Okay. Hermanubis, you said you know everything? What does Osiris know?"

"He's busy fucking Isis. He sent me over," Hermanubis snorted.

"I swear, the two of them always make it look like we play pretend!" Dionysus grumbled.

"Are you jealous that you aren't fucking someone?" Hermanubis grinned.

"Fuck off," Dionysus growled.

"Well, the only time he does shut up is when he's fucking Athena," Apollo mused.

"You can shove it!" Dionysus scowled at him.

"Children," Robert said in warning. He caught Alex's irritated glare.

"Isis had better give birth quickly. Is Sigyn pregnant?" Alex asked.

"Ah..." Hermanubis started.

"No more fucking unless the females are staying behind. That's it," Alex warned.

"I beg pardon?" Agatha said.

"You heard me," Alex said. "I want this done."

"Well, you can still fuck me while I'm pregnant. Right?" she grinned. At the image she sent him next, he tensed. He gathered her up off the sofa and began to walk off with her.

"Dionysus, use your fucking hand. Apollo, shut the fuck up. Hermanubis, you tell Osiris to keep his fucking hands to himself when Isis gives birth! Same with you and Sigyn! After all these eggs are out of them, we go!" Alex snapped and stormed off into an empty room with Agatha in his arms. Apollo whistled softly, but the Kings only looked at their Queens. At the blushes they suddenly gave, they were quick to move into other rooms. They had the same window as the others to help them with their drone eggs. Only they could help their respective Queens give birth. It was the same with Agatha giving birth when Alex was around for her.

"I'm sure Osiris has some form of lube you can use," Robert started, and Dionysus gave a glare at his father. "I'm only stating what Alex said."

"I am  _not_  doing that! I'll be fine," Dionysus said.

"We do have more puzzles," Nick said, as the drone walked over. "I can get a few for you to help pass the time."

"That will work," Dionysus nodded. Nick even started to help them piece this one together. At the picture puzzle being that of an enlarged set of bull testicles when it was done, the breeder male's jaw dropped. Even Robert wasn't expecting this. Apollo was looking away and ignoring Aphrodite's mental laughter at what he sent her.

"You can thank my Liege for this. He wants all of you to grow a pair and decide how to use them effectively," Nick grinned widely and walked off. The puzzle was left where it was.

"I'm going to kick his ass!" Robert growled. At the sight of another puzzle of a 3D castle being opened for them, he sighed. "I can handle that one. Get rid of this other one."

"I'll give it to Osiris," Dionysus smirked and began to take the puzzle apart to put back in the box it came in. He was wondering why there was no picture on the box.  _This only explained it and would be a nice 'fuck you' gift for any of them._ Apollo looked at him and decided to help him out. Robert started laughing, and he shook his head.


	118. Chapter 118

A good five hours passed before they were finally in transit to the airport. Osiris was still swearing over the puzzle he was given to put together. He was not amused by it. Isis was simply giggling like crazy at the whole thing. Dionysus and Apollo both agreed that the puzzle could be seen as a fitting way to get even with Hermes and Loki, too.

"Okay, are we all here?" Alex asked when they got to the airport. Agatha was back in her camouflage suit. Robert was there with Dionysus and Apollo. It was decided for the Queens to be taken back to the main base. As much as they could have stayed in the current one, it was a safety measure in case any spies were sent in. Hermanubis had suggested it.

"I believe we are all accounted for," Osiris nodded. Isis and Sigyn were safely aboard a Chinook. The Kings were all together in another Chinook. Since Agatha couldn't transform into anyone, she was given a heavy, hooded jacket to wear to hide her features. She was able to have her hair curl up within it to hide. It didn't like to be bound back, but it would work with her mental commands. Once they were all secure in the helicopters, they were in the air.

"How long do you think?" Agatha asked and leaned into Alex.

"If I recall, his mansion was closer to Aspen. He liked to ski in the off seasons. So, it's a good five hour flight if we have no turbulence or issues," Osiris nodded.

"No one fucks anyone," Alex warned. Their mates weren't on this flight, either. They were safely moved to another to be transported over.

"Hypnos provided this," Nick chuckled and flashed a DVD movie. There were quite a few of them, and a projector that was bolted down was already provided. Alex nodded mildly, and Kim was able to help set it up. As much as they wanted their Empress to be in a luxury plane, this was a mission. She would be set up in style after it was done. As they were watching the comedy, Agatha blinked at a thought. Alex looked at her and grinned.

"Good. Duamutef and Mafdet volunteered to take over George and whatever assistant he has. Excellent. They will meet us there," Alex nodded.

"I was wondering what was going to happen to the two of them!" Osiris chuckled. "They were undecided for a very long time. They wanted to do something important. This would be it. And that reminds me of something else. My Emperor...where the hell did you get that puzzle?!"

"Which one?" Alex seemed to smirk.

"There's...more than one...?" Dionysus asked.

"Oh, trust me. There always should be," Alex grinned wickedly. Apollo started to laugh softly. Dionysus muttered at the innuendo. Robert and Osiris had to laugh at him now. Hermanubis found himself cracking up, too. "As to when they will be delivered, well I don't know. Piss me off, and I may deliver them sooner than later. And, trust me. You'll have no idea when you'll find them. I always win."

"Of course, my Emperor," Dionysus smiled tightly. Agatha was giggling softly, and Alex squeezed her. At her soft whisper in his ear, he looked at her and barked out laughter.

"So wrong. But, I will do that," Alex grinned at her.

"Do what?" Apollo asked.

"Piss me off and find out," Alex grinned at him now. At their mutters of 'no, thanks' he only nodded slightly and let his mate snuggle into him a bit more. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she whispered in his ear again. He growled and moved to nip at her neck.

"I thought we agreed to no fucking?" Robert asked.

"This is called foreplay. Something none of you have bothered to try," Alex smirked.

"That is...well..." Dionysus could only scowl. "Athena is a bitch when she's horny."

"As if Aphrodite would bother to wait," Apollo grinned softly. Osiris was getting jealous, but only because he couldn't do anything to Isis. With Alex there, the instinct to try and be with their mother was gone. There was no need for it.

"Behave," Alex muttered to her. "I'll fuck you hard on the way back."

"I hope so," she muttered back and let him kiss her again.

"I don't think the movie is working," he growled and tensed at her hot breath on his neck.

"Should we have put her on another Chinook?" Osiris asked.

"No. Not with those Kings out on a different one," Alex said and regained control of himself. "I don't want them to get any ideas."

"Agreed," Robert nodded. He looked a bit disgruntled. Agatha seemed to frown at that.

"Mother, recall when the last time he had sex was," Osiris said.

"Oh. I should fix that," she mused.

"Fuck that! No! Not on the chopper!" Alex growled.

"I can't even help him in other ways?" she smiled.

"Don't do it," Robert winced. "Not in front of the kids."

"Please don't?" Dionysus seemed to beg.

"Fuck. Maybe you should," Alex seemed to think. The look on Dionysus's face was priceless and had them all laughing. The banters did settle down after that. Agatha couldn't afford to get pregnant with breeders or drones on the helicopter. It would be far too risky. Then she thought and looked at him.

"I was curious. Those clones. When we make clones in our base, they are permanent. But, the ones at the new base are not?" she asked.

"They work with the same DNA strands. Old structures. We work with new cells each time. They're fresher. That's why their clones are temporary. As it is now, we sent a strand to Ragland to study. He may be able to make the clones a permanent thing. Even Hedeyasu is up for the challenge. We'll figure it out quickly. And don't worry about that FBI clone. It's already out of the base and being shipped to the destination needed," Osiris chuckled. That had her nodding with a smile and she nuzzled into her mate. When she tried to get amorous again, Alex had to mentally nudge her back into reason. When she tried to play a mental sex game with him, it took all that he had to remain calm.

_:Bitch!:_ He snapped at her.

_:Just proving who's in charge.:_ She muttered in a silken way. He seemed to growl at that, but he had to admit that she was right. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and looked out the side window. After being told they had less than an hour, he was amused that all the bickering and mind games had time fly by. Even this was spent with small mind games to guess what the other was thinking. Of course, most was of a sexual basis, but it kept the time flying by. Next thing they knew, the Chinook was landing easily.

"The mansion is another hour out. This was a private airport. The closest there was to the place. I'm just glad it's not winter. We'd have to hoof it to get there, if it was," Osiris sighed. Isis had moved up to his side quickly to get a lusty kiss pressed to her mouth. Sigyn was the same way with Hermanubis. The four Kings were already heading to the waiting limousine. The funny thing was that, since it was military based, it was a stretch Humvee. There were several of the sleek, black, specialty cars waiting for them.

"My Emperor! It's good to see you again," a breeder male said.

"Duamutef, right?" Alex said.

"Yes," he nodded. He had unusually long, straight hair that went well past his shoulders, and it was the same coloring as Agatha's hair. He even had her pastel blue eyes, but his build was as buff as Osiris's was. Mafdet had the same hair as him, but her father's steel grey eyes. Her build was just as voluptuous as the other breeders. They were both wearing basic pants and tops to work with the warm weather. As much as it wouldn't matter, it helped them fit in.

"All girls, except for Agatha, go in one car. Kings go in another with any other breeder males that can't fit in my car. Let's go. And don't complain," Alex ordered.

"Yes, my Emperor," many of them said at once, as they moved.

"Almost at the end of the road?" Agatha smiled and leaned into him when they got comfortable in the leather seating.

"Yep," Alex nodded.

"What do we do after this?" she murmured.

"We wait for those five Kings to come about. That will give us the leeway we need to get the other bases filled. Then we will tackle the rest of the world," he grinned wickedly. She echoed his grin and gave him a soft kiss, as the luxury car took them to the final leg of their mission with the others following suit.


	119. Chapter 119

George wasn't expecting anything when his butler phoned him of the important vehicles at his gate. He wasn't expecting visitors. But, since they were already there, he decided to go ahead and let them in. Not many knew where he lived, and those that did were high up in government rankings. The drones acting as servants were quick to obey his wishes. The butler was the only human servant left. They left him alone on purpose to prove that nothing was wrong. Of course, when Alex gave the mental command to take him out, it was done with no further hesitations. Now the massive, Italian style, house-like mansion was easily theirs.

The butler held the keys to every lock around. George held the more secret ones, but that was fine. They would be acquired in time. Osiris took on Commander John's guise. Isis was quick to use Lynette's guise. The others became various soldiers. Agatha was hidden by the large coat once again. When Osiris was let in, George had just reached the base of the stairs. He was in a casual suit and tie that he usually wore for important people, and he found himself pausing in complete and utter shock at who paid him a visit.

"George! So good to meet you. And in your own home. A shame you never invited me for coffee. You came over to my house so many times! I just had to track you down to return the favor," Osiris said in a cool tone. He even gave a friendly wave. At the sight of Robert appearing in his best suit of black and gold, since Apollo had it with him and helped him change in the car, George seemed to pale even more.

"What? I'm not allowed here, either?" Robert seemed to frown. "John had me accompany him. Is there something wrong?"

"How did you both find my house?!" George demanded.

"Well, how about this," Osiris mused. "you tell me why you sent me a clone to fund you in the very beginning. Then I'll tell you how we found your house."

"I..." George started. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"But, you do," Alex mused in his disguise. He was still in the guise of the scientist.

"What are you doing off base?!" George snapped. Then he gaped at Osiris's cold smile. "I mean...well..."

"So, you were hiding a base from me..." Osiris sighed and began to pace as John always did when confronted with a dilemma. Isis simply kept tapping away on a useless iPhone. "This upsets me. I thought we had an understanding with each other."

"What's this about?" Robert asked. He was acting stupid. Alex could only grin at the excellent job he was doing.

"Oh, that's right. It's about Project Hera," Osiris said bluntly.

"You can't tell him!" George spat.

"Why not? I already know about her," Robert shrugged. "She's been giving me kids for the past few months. Quite a few. More than that, even. I lost count."

"What?" George asked with disbelief.

"In fact, she wanted to meet you in person," Osiris said and gestured to the figure in the heavy coat. Everything in George's mental mind was screaming  _danger!_  Even when the figure dropped the cloak to reveal her flawless form and peerless beauty, her pastel blue eyes were cold and murderous.  _She wanted revenge._ They all knew it.

"Hello," she said in a flat, careless way in her ethereal tone. The vibe she gave off showed how pissed she was. "I am Agatha. And you are fucking dead!"

He paled even more at the way her hair became the tendrils of death they were. She was ready to launch at him, but Alex calmly moved in front of her to run his hands over the tendrils as he whispered to her. She calmed down, but her hair refused to settle. She still felt that she was in complete danger. She looked at him and snorted before crossing her arms over her chest to heave up her breasts a bit without knowing it. Alex took a definite notice with a grin and said, "I think your tits got bigger."

"I'll show them to you later," she teased back and let him pull her close.

"I expect that," he chuckled and kissed her softly.

"This form you're wearing is ugly," she frowned.

"You're right. I'll get rid of it," Alex grinned wickedly and dropped the disguise. Then he turned to see George's trembling form. "I'm Project Zeus. Nice to make your fucking acquaintance. Now, answer his questions before my mate and I both tear you open and make a new asshole for others to fuck."

"Osiris, please remove that form, too. All of you just get rid of them. They are so gross!" Agatha grumbled. Osiris laughed and dropped the Commander's guise. All but Robert shifted to their true looks.

"You...aren't...?" George seemed to gape at Robert.

"Nope. You could say that I'm her fuck toy. She likes me this way. I like it, too," Robert grinned and found himself getting hauled behind her to keep him protected. What surprised him was that it was one of her tentacles that moved him. It showed how much control she had over them now. He actually felt a touch of concern from her when the contact was made. He'd have to talk about it later with her.

Right after he was moved behind her, his sons and daughters moved in front of him with a mess of drones at her mental command. As her prized stud, and the father to practically every single breeder there and most of the hive in question, his safety was a mass priority. He found both of his arms filled with Isis and Sigyn. As his daughters, they were showing their concern. He pressed a kiss to each forehead and squeezed them. "I'm fine, girls. Don't worry."

"We won't let you get hurt, Father," Sigyn said.

"I know," he chuckled and pat her back.

"You told me you hated the thought of having a family..." George said.

"I didn't want to support kids for the rest of my life. These kids are all a few months old. They grow fast," Robert grinned. Dionysus glanced over at Apollo, and they smirked.

"Now that we have made our introductions," Agatha said, as Alex placed an arm around her waist. "What do we do with him? He lied to us. He stole cells from you. Granted, he made me from those cells, but not once did he even apologize for his rude behavior. I think he should die. A slow. Painful. Miserable. Death."

"Not yet," Alex smiled. His hooded form seemed to look over at the panicking human. He was now in thought over what needed to be done with him.

"He could be useful," Hermanubis said. Robert shook his head.

"He will attempt to make us puppets, huh?" Osiris grinned when he gleaned his father's thoughts. Robert didn't want to take any chances.

"Fuck him. Take some blood from him and get rid of him. Duamutef! Get ready," Alex ordered. At the way the man fell to his knees to beg, Robert actually did a double-take.

"Please..." the man whispered. "I'm not...ready to see them yet..."

"See who?" Dionysus frowned.

"He's talking about his family," Robert sighed.

"Well..." Alex thought. He pressed a kiss to his mate's cheek and seemed to glare at the groveling human. "Why should we let you live? What can you do for us?"

"Whatever I have to. I won't go back on you," George vowed.

"Hmm. Aden," Alex said to his elite drone. The mental command was given.

"Give me your hand," Aden said, as it reached down. The man nodded and exposed his palm. He winced at the small pinprick to get a blood sample to taste. "He speaks truth. But, he is afraid that he will not see his family. That he will go straight to Hell for what he's done."

"You? A religious man?!" Robert gaped and started laughing.

"It's a new thing. Ever since one of his clones was discovered. He covered it up. As to how, it was a routine health check in a clinic," Aden smirked. Kim and Robin escorted in the four Kings to glare down at the man.

"He wants to join us. What do you guys think?" Alex grinned.

"Hmm..." Hypnos mused and looked down at him. George now realized that he was staring at four powerful figures. Likely as powerful, if not as powerful, as Alex and Agatha. He had no idea how deep a voice could get when he heard Hypnos.

"One fucking chance!" Coeus said gleefully.

"Kill him..." Oceanus growled.

"I say one chance," Hypnos nodded. Cronus was thinking over the memories gleaned by Aden very carefully. It was pretty much his choice now.

"His knowledge about biochemical warfare is extensive. We could use him. If he betrays us, he's dead. That simple," Cronus seemed to shrug. "The chance goes to everyone."

"I want him dead," Agatha muttered. At this, there was a surge in the mental link to let him try and prove his worth. She gave out a rather inhuman hiss, but Alex once again calmed her down with a soft whisper.

"Listen to the kids," he smiled. "They know what to expect."

"He will want to stay here," she frowned.

"He can't stay here. He will be living in our base. He said he would do whatever he had to in order to live. We could have a female made for him. She would keep him in line for sure," he said. At her inner growl of hatred, he paused at her. "You don't want him to have one?"

"Why should he?" she asked evenly. "What has he ever done for us?"

"He never knew about us," Apollo said. "What could he have done?"

"Expose us. For one," Dionysus muttered.

"You don't trust him?" Alex asked.

"My Emperor, I would rather trust Hermes giving me a box and lying that dog shit was in there before letting this human get near us," Dionysus said with an eye roll.

"Or a puzzle?" Alex grinned wickedly.

"That puzzle was pure evil," Osiris muttered. "We do plan to give that to Hermes, right? And Loki? They need that punishment!"

"We can do that," Alex nodded with another grin.

"Why do you name yourselves like that?" George asked.

"Why did you get the name of a curious monkey?" Dionysus retorted back. That got small snickers, but he answered the question, anyways. "Think about it. Project Zeus. Project Hera. As they were named after gods and goddesses, we took up the tradition. Hermanubis is an Egyptian god. Same with Osiris and Isis. It's what we do."

"And you called him your emperor?" George asked.

"He is our leader. Our ruler. Without him, none of us would exist. To call them by simple names would show disrespect. He is our Emperor. Then there is our Mother. The drones call her Empress. As her children, we only refer to her as Mother. Robert is our Father. But, our Emperor has our complete respect. Yes, you are partially responsible for that, in taking his cells to alter them to make Mother, but you're scum to us," Hermanubis said. "But, if you join us, we may grant you some leeway. Not much, but just enough."

"Why did you take some of our Emperor's cells to begin with?" Apollo asked.

"To remove those that opposed me. Everyone wants power. To take out any that get in their way. At first, it was for revenge on the bastards that killed my family. Then it was to target any that tried to stop me. That was my whole point," George said.

"I see. Oh. We do know of the alien DNA. We took the clone you made to retrieve it to bring it to us instead. So, if you join us, you could see what alien DNA and Hunter DNA could do when merged. Then, you could sic your little pets on the ones that killed your family. That would seem fair. You just can't work with Alex's cells anymore. Or Agatha's cells. That would be treason and force your hand in death," Robert said.

"I can work with that," George nodded. "If I can get revenge on them after all this time, I would definitely take what I can get."

"Now, here's a big question," Osiris said. "If you really want to change our minds, is there any major secret in this house that we need to know of that will benefit us?"

"There is," George said and stood up. "This way."

"Oh?" Alex asked with a raised brow. As much as Agatha was pissed, she was curious now.  _That was a good sign that the human would live._  George led them all into his main receiving chamber and took in a deep breath to let it out slowly. He had to keep calm and focused on what he was going to show them. Then he pushed in an ornate tile with the heel of his shoe that was along the wall. The location was memorized. A section of the wall now came away to reveal a set of stairs. He led them down the stairs and under the house.

"There was a conspiracy about blood being taken from people when they were born to be archived. Much of it is false, but it's also true. Only selected blood was taken. Mainly from those that meant nothing and were easy to clone," George said, as he led them down. "My house has a giant freezer underneath it. The blood is stored here. It's how I was able to keep my own samples for clones. And, yes, yours, too, uh, Mr. Mercer."

"Just call me Alex," he grumbled. "Do you have any other samples of me here?"

"No. After a while, your cells couldn't be frozen. I had to use what I had right away to keep them from spoiling. If I knew they never spoiled, there would have been a chance that I could have acquired more, but I didn't. Um...how did you get it back?" George asked.

"We took over your New York base," Osiris smirked. "It's under our control. Easy enough to do when drones can consume humans and take on their memories and forms. Courtesy of our Emperor's talents."

"We will use that base for our own devices. No, you will no longer see it. You can work with what we bring you in the base that Agatha was born into. Anyways, when I took the cells back, they tried to take me over. Agatha killed them with her own antiviral nature. It was easy to recycle the dead cells properly. At least, that's what I know. It was instinctive on what to do," Alex said and found himself in front of a giant set of steel freezer doors. George was in shock at what he learned, but he nodded all the same. At the key code on the wall, he punched in a password for the doors to open.

At the sight of rows upon rows of frozen blood tubes, Alex grinned wickedly. _Their takeover of the world was now in front of them._ Agatha was in pure shock, but something directed her gaze to the back wall. Even Osiris noticed something odd.

"That wall. What's behind it?" Osiris asked.

"Oh. My own...private project..." George seemed to shiver. They couldn't tell if it was from the cold of the freezer or his own emotions. Without them asking, he went to the back wall and put his hand against a frosted tile. A beeping ensued for that wall to come away. What they saw next had them amused.  _George had kept parts of his former family. He was trying to clone them. This was why he was really into cloning._

"We could make it easy for you," Hermanubis said. "Are these pieces alive?"

"No. I did have blood taken from them when they were. Survival tactics. So, I do have living blood that's frozen here," George said.

"We can clone your family successfully. We can also gain memories from a single blood drop. So, even if you didn't lead us here, we know about this place," Osiris smirked.

"The clones will have no memories. Or, we can have drones consume the clones and take on the personalities of your former family. It will give you a sense that they are with you. Another thing you can do is this. Start a new family in our family. Agatha could birth you a wife based on your subconscious desires. Granted, new kids grow much faster, and they would only be females, but it's something you could have," Apollo said.

"I really wanted...my original family, though..." George winced with grief.

"They're dead. Move on," Alex muttered.

"He does have a point," Coeus said. "Your new wife could look exactly like your old one. If that's what your subconscious desires. She could even take on the face and form with a cloned version of your former wife. It could be done. As for the kids, well, it may be best to let them rest in what peace they have."

"If I could get Jenny back..." George gasped and controlled his raw emotions. "What do I have to do? I'll pay any price."

"Just do as we say. The rest will come in time," Alex nodded. "Agatha? What do you think? Has he proven his worth now?"

"As much as I hate to admit it..." she sighed. "Fine. One chance."

"Good. Let's go home so I can finally fuck you senseless," he grinned. She laughed at him and let him lead her out of the house. The drones would be quick to salvage and transport what needed to be taken away.


	120. Chapter 120

The next month was a blur. A mess of Queens were birthed, grown, and Kings claimed. Bases were quickly filled at long last, and more were already being made. The homeless that were claimed and conditioned were brought down, and they already showed much promise. Any that showed second thoughts were taken into a separate room and killed. If questioned, the others were told that they were simply taken away to become part of the military for special projects.

The children were quickly swept up by various breeder pairs to adopt. Dionysus had a good portion living with him, but Hermes did get a few, too. Even Apollo did, much to everyone's surprise. And, much to the delight of Hermes, Dana was given the experimental sperm to make a King. It worked. As Cronus was the first King egg, Chronos was the first King to be born. He was now fifteen days old. It was decided for only Dana to birth Kings.

"I think we are finally ready for global exposure," Alex said to the new Kings in their video chat lines. "After Chronos gets his Queen and is forced to leave the nest is when we will go. So, we have three days. What can we get done in three days?"

"The alien DNA has finally been acquired," a King with olive green eyes, a fair complexion and swept back brown hair stated.

"Who are you again?" Alex frowned.

"I'm Koios. I can see incredibly far," the King chuckled.

"So many of you now, it's hard to keep track of you all. But, it's needed. I'm just glad you all were able to meet and shake hands!" Alex grinned.

"And, my Emperor, they all have chosen names of various Titans that seem to relate to what they can do. Except for Oceanus and Coeus," Dionysus chuckled.

"Now see here!" Coeus scowled lightly. "I am a tactician! I do have intellect!"

"Prove it," Alex smirked. "Where should we strike first?"

"Water supply..." Oceanus said. "Send out a Hunter. If there is no water, the public panics. Same with the food."

"So, we get the humans to riot. We can weaken them first," Cronus mused.

"Or catch them all when they sleep. All humans need to sleep at some point," a King with short, black hair, blue-green eyes and tanned skin shrugged. "And I'm Heimdall. I'm the one that likes to provide you with any new information the hive mind comes up with when you aren't paying attention. From what the drones know, from all over, that is, if we cause panic in several locations all at once, it will tie up the central government. It will create a weakness in their defense while they scramble to calm the public. Sif even suggested to me how interesting it could be to have a Hunter invasion in every major city across the United States. You all were talking about it before at some point. Even in major countries."

"True," Alex thought aloud.

"Who's that?!" Apollo growled at a feeling he got from the other side of the conference room door. Alex got up and opened the door to find Chronos there.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" the young King said. He had Hermes's hair and steel-grey eyes. The rest of him seemed to resemble Dana, save that he had his father's build.

"We didn't get you, because you aren't invited!" Alex growled. "You don't have a Queen yet. You have to go back to your mother. Now."

"But...my Emperor..." he winced.

"No. You can't join these meetings yet," Alex said again.

"Chronos..." Hermes warned. His son seemed to grumble. Then he regarded Alex in full. His main talent was to know when to do something at just the right time. It was a bit like mild premonitions with a touch of deja-vu.

"Grandmother needs you, my Emperor," Chronos said. Alex looked at him and seemed to smirk. "She is going to call for you."

"And how do you know this?" Hypnos asked with a hint of a smile.

"Something about a new puzzle," Chronos grinned lightly. Hermes seemed to cough. He had gotten the evil puzzle just a few days after they got back from George's estate. He was not thrilled when he put it together. Even Loki rolled his eyes.

"Fine. You have earned your keep. Sit down. Shut up. And don't offer to go anywhere. Remember. You are destined for a base. I think we have one based in Babylonia soon?" Alex asked. At the nods from the others, he nodded back. "If you all want, tell him what the surrounding area is like. And...yes...there she is contacting me. I'll be back in a bit."

Hermes had his son sit next to him to get a knuckle rub on his head. Then a small smack to the back of it for mildly going against Alex's order and his order to leave. Alex grinned and made a beeline for his bedroom. Agatha was pregnant with his drones, and she wanted him close. When he settled next to her, she cuddled into him.

"Good. You're here," she smiled.

"Chronos was kind enough to let me know," Alex sighed. "That King is able to know when things are about to happen. Premonitions, I think. Much like that time Titan he's named after. Odd, huh? But, he'll be useful after he gets his Queen."

"I know he will be," she nodded. "I have noticed that he's been trying to gain my affections. Don't look at me that way! Hermes has been keeping tabs on him. I would suggest on having his Queen egg already in a room for him. It would be safer. If he comes here first and sees me, he may think of other thoughts."

"Duly noted," Alex nodded. "That will be easy enough to do. As it is, I will not launch our global wake until he's out of here, though."

"That's a good idea," she agreed.

"Anyways, he mentioned something about a puzzle?" he asked. She grinned and whispered softly to him. He started to laugh. Nick was putting together a nice photo collage of some very intricate animal parts. And the drone discovered a restaurant in Japan that served that same variation of animal parts as main dishes. The parts were simply cut up and cooked in various ways and forms. The plan was to serve the dish first. Then have the victims put the puzzle together to see how the dish was made.

"I did find it interesting on what happened with that one mob boss. He fainted dead away when he found out what type of roast he was eating!" she grinned.

"And then we killed him and served him up as another main course for those that had taken to human flesh. He was rather well-built, too. Plenty to go around," he smirked.

"I think I'm ready for another steak, though. Not human. I never liked human flesh. It just seems...nasty to me," she said and winced from a growth spurt. A hefty slice of boar meat was brought to her, and she tore into it with sheer delight. He knew she disliked the taste of human flesh.  _She preferred the pure animal proteins from the leaner, wilder animals. Of course, beef flesh did the job, if there was nothing else. Even hearty fish steaks._

"I did notice something," he said gently.

"Hmm?" she asked as she ate.

"I haven't seen you deteriorate, or get ill, since you became whole."

"Oh! You think that, when I gained all my parts, it fixed that?"

"I can only hope. We'll still have your cells as backup. No matter what. Same thing with me leaving a part of myself here. That also reminds me of something missing. Claudia's brother. She wanted us to find him. I'll have a drone confront her now," he nodded to himself. Then he stole her next piece of meat to watch her get mildly pissed.

A lesser version of Nick was soon at Claudia's door to knock on it. Sobek was able to answer with a small nod. The drone nodded back and said, "Did she still want us to track her missing brother? Or leave him be?"

"Um..." she winced from how heavy her belly was. Sobek was quick to help her and lean her against him. "I have...mixed thoughts on him."

"She's eight days along," he said. "Mixed thoughts?"

"Yes," she frowned. "I want him found, and then I don't want him found."

"Hmm. Let me talk to her. I'll tell the others of what is said," Sobek said to the drone. It nodded and let them talk. He was now able to pick her up and settle her in his lap on a couch. He ran a hand lovingly through her hair and whispered, "Tell me what's wrong."

"My brother...is both good and bad," she trembled. "A part of me wants to find him to make sure he is okay. He is good, as he does care about me. He liked to make sure I was okay. Another part of me wants him to stay lost. He...uses me for money. He can remind you of how Layla was. How she was both good and bad. Only he is...um..."

Now he looked at her with shock from what her thoughts revealed. She winced now and remembered that he could hear her thoughts.  _The talk about money was a lie._ It was a much deeper reason, and he just found out. There was no jealousy there at all. It was a completely protective outlook. "He touched you. In a way that you didn't like. Didn't he?"

"I know it is fine here...but..."

"No. It's different on how it works here. It's accepted. It's known. What happened to you...no! I will not allow it! Now I want to find him just so I can kill him!" he growled. "You say he is both good and bad? No. He only checked on you to see when he would be able to see you. To keep tabs on you for his own uses. Now. I need to ask. How much did he do to you?"

"Too much," she winced.

"Any children?"

"No. Thankfully. But...it wasn't that far. Close. But not that much."

"I am going to request for him to be found. If he is found, I shall kill him if he shows any malice to you. We have two days before my Emperor wants to act. Mother agrees. She wants to act in your stead. We will look for your brother. I will not let him see you," he said. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and rocked her. He didn't have long hair, but he could still use his viral tissues to lock down his victim. Only those with long hair held the tendrils of their mother. "Mother wants to see you. Come on."

"Okay," she nodded and let him help her up. A wheelchair was soon used to help her. It was safer this way with the more advanced pregnancies. He wheeled her to the meat locker, and Aden nodded to them.

"Just close your eyes, okay?" Sobek whispered to her.

"Specialty meats were moved to another area," Aden said with a small smile.

"Good to know," he chuckled.

"What was in here again?" she asked.

"Various meats that would have made you...freak out. Just a little bit," he grinned. "It's fine, though. I was going to have you close your eyes just in case. No need to now."

"Oh! That's right! Okay," she nodded. She was wheeled through the freezing room, and Robin nodded to let them in. Agatha was sitting up in the bed, and Alex was sitting behind her. She looked very upset at Claudia's dilemma. Even Alex was curious to see what could be done.

"When did this start?" Agatha asked.

"Let me answer for her," Sobek nodded and studied her thoughts. "When she was eight. He is three years older than her. It started then. Out of curiosity. When she got uncomfortable after a year of it, he got more demanding. He became addicted to it. Her parents did find out and had him sent away to a boarding school. He acted fine when he came to visit, but he went back to his old habits and threatened her to say nothing when he was alone with her. After their parents were lost, it became a permanent fixture that did not leave until she went to the base. He was not allowed to visit her. Only calls and letters."

"How far did he go?" Alex asked.

"Penetration. But, he did not cum. He pulled out," Sobek winced.

"Was this wanted?" he asked.

"No. He raped her each time," Sobek sighed.

"Bring him here and castrate him," Agatha said bluntly. Alex raised a brow at her. "Claudia can even do the cutting!"

"No..." Sobek said with a small grin. "Let me handle that."

"He should see her. Just so that we can gauge his reaction. You can still camouflage. You can kick his ass when he's unable to see you. I think it would be fitting for you to claim vengeance for her. It would make perfect sense. Tell me, Claudia. Was there any good that he ever did for you? Even once?" Alex asked.

"Ah...not really. He showed concern for me when he couldn't see me. But..." she frowned. Sobek rose up his hand for her to stop talking.

"It was to only see when she would be available to visit him. The moment he saw her, he would start up right away. Taking her into a dark place. Urging her to come to his hotel room. Anyplace he could think of to start doing what he wanted with her. I insist. I want to kill him," he said adamantly. "If he wants to see her, he can see her through a glass barrier. Not in the same space with her. He can fuck off, if he thinks he will!"

Nick glanced over at the door when Hermes and Hermanubis walked in. They both were exceptionally pissed about it. So was the rest of the hive mind. Dionysus would have been there, but he was handling a new child that was moving into his room. _It was one thing if it was accepted. It was another if it was forced and not wanted._

"Did you enjoy any of it?" Hermes asked Claudia.

"No. I just...wanted it to stop..." she whispered.

"I'm done talking. I'm done having her talk, too. She is too close to giving birth to our daughter. One more day, and she is born. I am taking her back to our room. No more stress for her. You can tell me what is decided in the link," Sobek said. They all nodded, and he wheeled her back out. Now they all looked at each other.

"I just had the most awesome, and evil, idea ever," Hermes grinned.

"I'm listening," Alex grinned back.

"Set up a room with speakers. Let Claudia talk through them. However, we leave a Hunter in the room he's in," Hermes said wickedly. Agatha actually gave a glowing smile at this idea. "He can see her in a double-paned window. Like how officials use to see criminals. She won't have to see him. She can have the mirror side. Then, when he thinks the door to reach her is there, it leads to the Hunter for his just reward. What do you think?"

"Do it," Alex nodded.

"Sobek still wants to kill him, but he knows that she may need him close. He will accept this," Agatha nodded. "Set up the room needed. I want him here by tomorrow."

"Will do!" Hermanubis grinned. Bets were already being placed on how fast the Hunter was going to kill the human. Ragland even offered to introduce a strain of electric eel DNA to see what happened. Then Hedeyasu optioned for elephant bull testosterone. Laughter filled the link now.  _Claudia's brother may just be plastered all over the wall from how beefed up this Hunter was going to be._ Hypnos suggested to video the whole thing for slow motion study. The idea was embraced, and the proper cameras would be placed throughout the room.

"Did you want blood drawn from him?" Sobek asked her and ran a hand over her belly.

"For your purposes, yes. But...I don't want to see him," she winced.

"You won't," he nodded. As this issue was being neatly taken into effect, Sakuma and Mamoru were going over the issue with Arata. He was clearly in trouble. He was under the radar of drug lords. It took them some time to track him down from how deep into hiding he was. He was also just about to arrive on the base from his submarine ride.

"We should track down the head guy in charge," Sakuma smirked. "Like what we did for Layla. Bring him here and rough him up."

"We could do that," Mamoru mused. Toshimichi walked in with Tsuneo, and they both sat down with them. "Hello, Toshi. Curious about Arata?"

"Very. I'm trying to think on how we tell him this. Where did we find him, anyways?" Toshimichi asked. "Wasn't he in a back alley?"

"A slum. And he's thinner than fuck," Mamoru winced. "He sent me an image of himself. He is clearly on drug abuse. Of some kind."

"Do we have anything to sober him?" Tsuneo asked.

"Oh, they gave him something on the way here to calm his nerves. Don't worry about that," Sakuma said with a grin. Amaterasu walked in and rested her hands on her husband's shoulders in a loving way. Sakuma ran his hand over hers and chuckled.

"I do not like Arata," she said softly. "I feel...sick...when I think of him."

"Do you?" Toshimichi frowned.

"He gives off a vibe to me that makes me want to slaughter him," she said. "Benzaiten and Shinatobe are the same in thoughts. All of the females are. Tell me. Is he a womanizer?"

"He is," Toshimichi said a touch stiffly. "When he last bragged to me, that is."

"I will not allow Otohime to meet him," Mamoru growled. At this, their wives came in to stand behind their respective husbands. Otohime was eight days pregnant, and she got pulled into his lap to keep her off her feet. "And you should not have walked here."

"I will kill him," she growled. He pressed a loving kiss to her mouth and grimaced at a drone that gave the signal that the submarine arrived.

"I will not hide," Benzaiten said. "There is no need for me to. Our daughter is safe enough. We shall judge his actions."

"Our Empress wanted me to watch, too," Eddie said. As a scout, the drone was able to camouflage. And it was of Agatha's personal escort. The moment she felt that her daughters were threatened, the drone was sent. Even Nick was in the background now. If the females were threatened, Agatha was, too.

"Hi. I'm here to say one thing," Alex said when he walked in. "If he looks at  _any_  of your wives in a way you can't stand it, I'm ripping his fucking guts open! Then Robert will kick around the corpse. Got it?"

"Understood," Tsuneo nodded. "And don't worry. I won't stop you."

"Or I," Sakuma nodded.

"Same," Toshimichi nodded. Mamoru gave his own nod, as he comforted his wife.

"He's on his way here," Alex growled. He glanced at Nick to nod, and he sped back to Agatha. They seemed to smirk at each other. Then they calmed down when Arata was led to them. His clothes were disheveled, and it looked like he hadn't bathed in days. His form was twenty pounds underweight, and he badly needed a shave. Even his usually neat black hair was grown out and unkempt. His brown eyes were clouded over from lack of sleep with intense bags. The four men were amazed at how he looked.

"Arata? Is that you?" Toshimichi asked. At his look of question, he sighed and repeated what he said in Japanese. A slow nod was given before he collapsed to the floor.

"I got him," Eddie said. "We'll strap him down in the lab."

"Run a medical check on him," Toshimichi said. "A full one."

"Done," the drone nodded and sped off with the comatose man.

"I want to tighten the bonds," Benzaiten muttered.

"Hariti will do that for us," Amaterasu giggled.

"Good to know," Otohime sniffed. Then she laughed at the tickling poke Mamoru gave her. Drones came in to seat the standing females and get meals for them. In the laboratory, the new patient was going to be given a full twenty-four hour surveillance.


	121. Chapter 121

When Arata came to a couple hours later, he was surprised that he was bound down. When he began to panic, Ragland appeared to show a rather calm and neutral attitude.

"I am sorry for your condition. You walked in and passed out after consuming a lot of drugs. We just put a cleansing drug in your system to knock out what could have been the culprit drug. Don't worry. You're not in any trouble. It's just to ensure that you are fully comprehensive again. We just need to make sure that you're in control," Ragland explained. Apparently, Arata did understand English. His mind was too muddled at first from all the drugs.

"Oh," Arata frowned. When he coughed, there was a little blood in it. Now Ragland was quick to collect a sample to run a test on it. Hedeyasu took the slide from him. Hariti had a shot of calming solution already administered to him that was a major muscle relaxant.

"There is lung tissue in this," Hedeyasu whispered to Ragland.

"Snip his clothes off his chest," Ragland muttered to Hariti. She nodded and took the surgical scissors to do just that. What they found shocked them. Bloody bandages covered over his chest. He was too weak to stop them, and bound down, so it was easy for them to remove this. Most of the skin on his chest was removed, as well as various muscles. On seeing for the first time exactly what was done to him, Arata passed out from the shock.

"Tortured much?" Ragland asked. He even saw char marks from where a blowtorch was used on an exposed rib. If it wasn't for his natural membrane covering over his organs, he wouldn't have survived. _Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. It was as though they wanted to make him into a living skeleton._  "They cauterized his arteries to keep him alive. His heart is covered. His lungs are partially exposed. The blood he coughed up was from the outer membrane of his lungs trying to heal. I'm surprised he's still able to move. It must also be why he was so drugged up. To handle the pain and to slow the loss of blood."

"His legs are the same," Hedeyasu said when the pants were cut away. Various muscles were removed around the bones. There was enough there for him to walk, but only by so much.

"How did he escape his torment?" Hariti frowned. "Ah! A drone helped him!"

"The drone freed him, but Arata ran in fear," Nick said when it appeared to study the damage in full. "We could give him my Empress's blood, but the females don't trust him. With the way he is, it's doubtful he would want to look at any females. Should we leave him like this? We could, you know."

"Yes. Let's do that," Hariti beamed.

"No," Ragland smirked and patted her hand. "You need to watch over Metis. Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"I had a drone watching her, but you're right. She's a touch more hyperactive for a three-day-old!" she giggled. He kissed her and had her leave.

"So, I can only guess that the drones followed him until he collapsed?" Hedeyasu asked. At Nick's nod, he grimaced. "I wonder. I bet the tormentors doped him up."

"You would think so at this point. Get Toshimichi and Mamoru," Ragland said.

"They are on their way," Nick said. When the two men got there, they paused with their jaws dropped in solid disbelief at the stasis of their friend. Ragland explained what was discovered, and Mamoru could only shake his head with horror.

"Can we find the bastards that did this?" Toshimichi asked.

"Oh, we already found them. The question is...what do we do with them?" Nick grinned.

"I want to talk to Agatha," Mamoru said and left the laboratory. Toshimichi was right behind him. Sakuma didn't bother to follow, since Arata wasn't really his friend. It was the same with Tsuneo. When Toshimichi and Mamoru reached Agatha's room, Robin let them in with a warning glare for respect. Nick had easily followed them to ensure this.

"And what can I do for you both?" Agatha asked. Alex moved her to sit up a bit more to support her growing belly. She had another couple hours before the birthing started.

"Arata. The state that he's in is just..." Mamoru swallowed.

"Should we kill him to end his suffering?" Alex asked.

"I don't know," Toshimichi admitted. "Can any memories be gleaned? As to what happened? Was that done yet?"

"Good question," Agatha mused. A drone was now collecting a sample of blood.

"My Empress," Nick said. "Arata was tricked into joining them. When he tried to flee when various demands couldn't be met, it gave them a reason to torture him for his inability to do his job. As to why he was tricked into becoming a member of such an elite drug ring, he flirted with the wrong girl. In a club."

"Damn it, Arata!" Mamoru hissed.

"Which girl?" Alex asked.

"The mob boss's wife. If not his wife, then close to it. Needless to say, she accepted his advances and they fucked in the bathroom. She's been known to do this with others. A lot. His only downfall was that she was being watched that night. I think the girl was also being subjected to torture, too," Nick mused.

"We should bring her here," Agatha said. "if we find her alive."

"We'll see how she is," Nick nodded. "And...huh. We found her. In the main penthouse suite of the high-class Tokyo hotel they're in. Yes, another casino. And she's been beaten pretty hard. One of the drones was able to take over one of the main right-hand guys. As for her state, well, she's bound up and hanging off the ceiling. She's already bruising up rather nicely along her chest and hips. She's naked, just so you know..."

"Unbind her and bring her here," Agatha said sternly. "Do this now."

"My Emperor?" Nick smirked.

"Just do it," Alex rolled his eyes.

"Make sure she's clothed for transport. Is she unconscious?" she asked.

"Yes," Nick nodded. "Oh! The main guy came in! He's pissed that she was taken down. Suggestions on what to do?"

"Knock his ass out and bring him, too," Alex grinned.

"Done!" Nick said, as another drone was given the order. "Blood will be taken to play out being him while he's transported here. If any catch us in the act, they'll be brought, too."

"Good," Agatha nodded. "What is going on with Claudia's brother?"

"She said that he was last seen in one of the more popular cities around Berlin. We have vials of her blood, so it was easy for a drone to take on her form temporarily to make a phone call. He is now eagerly waiting to 'meet up' with 'her'. We did want to try an experiment to see how he would react if the drone was willing to do what he wanted. If he shows disinterest..."

"Then he only did those things to her, because he loved the reaction. That feeling of control," Agatha growled. "I should fuck him up instead!"

"We'll see what the drone does first," Alex said to keep her calm. "And you might be pregnant with breeders. No killing for you."

"Oh, come on..." she rolled her eyes.

"No. I mean it," he muttered and pressed a kiss to her mouth. "If we have the drone willing and he walks away, maybe it would be enough. But...nah. Fuck him. We'll still kill him off. Hmm?"

He looked over at the sound of Robin letting in a small child. The boy had dark brown hair and a set of rather pretty green eyes. He was one of the orphaned children, of course, but they didn't know why he came over to them.

"Um...I wanted to thank you," he said softly. "For helping me."

"Oh?" Agatha smiled and nodded. "You are very welcome. What is your name?"

"Brian," he said. His voice was weak, but that was from his malnourished state when he was found. It was slowly getting better. "I didn't...well...feel comfortable with others here..."

"How so?" Nick asked.

"I mean...I like them. But...when I was told to see about living with them..." he trembled. Alex tilted his head at the child and glanced at his mate.

"Do you feel good here?" Agatha asked gently.

"With you...I feel good. Just to stay until I have other things to do," Brian swallowed.

"So, you don't like Hermes, Apollo, Dionysus..." Alex started.

"They have so many others already. I just...it's crowded," he admitted.

"Well, there really isn't a sleeping quarters here," she frowned. When Robert showed up, he glanced down lightly at the child.

"Would you like to think of me as your dad? I wouldn't mind that," Robert smiled. "I don't have any kids staying with me."

"Um..." Brian blinked. "I sort of feel like...she's my mom. And that...he's my dad," he said and pointed to Alex and Agatha. That had Alex blink with surprise.

"I'm not much of a father figure," Alex said bluntly. "You're better off staying with him. Even with a breeder pair. I have too much shit to do than look after a kid."

"Alex!" Agatha scowled and shook her head. When she regarded Brian again, he was shivering. "Come here. Come to me."

"Mom?" he said softly. She gestured for him, and he climbed into the bed to snuggle into her arms. When a few tears fell, she dried them gently. He fell into a rather deep sleep right after. Even a few of her tentacles moved to carefully rest over him in a protective manner. She had clearly claimed this child. Alex seemed to mutter to himself. Robert gave a soft whistle.

"We'll talk later," Mamoru said wisely.

"Right," Alex grunted. Toshimichi followed his friend out.

"Nick, make a room for him alongside mine. He cannot share my bedroom, but he will be close to it. This will be done for the rare kids that only feel comfortable with me," she said. "It's odd. I sense something...special about him. Don't you, Alex?"

"Special?" Alex frowned. "Collect a drop of blood from him."

"Yes, my Emperor," Nick nodded and did just that. "Interesting. This child is...gifted."

"Gifted?" he mused.

"He can sense paranormal activity. His parents abandoned him out of fear. There are quite a few ghosts here that told him to seek you out. To be here in complete safety. This is what his memories are showing me. Most are from ones that we killed, but these ghosts understood why they were killed. It's...interesting. Really," Nick shrugged.

"As long as they don't try to do anything," Alex muttered.

"We'll let him sleep for an hour. In that time, I want his room completed. I'm sure he'll become bonded to a breeder, too, when he comes of age. How old is he?" she asked.

"He's twelve. He did get a shot of your blood, too. Ah! There is a malevolent spirit here. He's scared of it. You drive it away," Nick said.

"So, that's why he's here. Okay. Fine. Who is this spirit?" Alex asked.

"You're going to laugh. It's Leopold," Nick grinned.

"Okay. How do we get rid of that fat ass fuck up?" Robert growled.

"I'll have some drones watch a few video clips. I know there are plenty of paranormal resolutions. We just need to pick the right one. Brian can lead us to where the spirit likes to hang out. Then we just...take it from there," Nick shrugged.

"I'm not one for spirits and voodoo shit," Robert grumbled.

"Commander John and Lynette are here, too," Nick grinned.

"Do not tell Sakuma! Or his family!" Agatha said in both word and through the hive mind. "We shall take care of this. This child is now my son. He is to be treated as such. And, if he is mistreated at any time, I will be the one that confronts the culprit."

The moment she said that, Brian seemed to sigh with a form of complete comfort. It was one that Robert knew well.  _The child finally felt safe._  Alex sighed, but he knew the boy would be given his own room. It was already being worked on.  _And the child was going to be pampered silly to show for it._

Thirty minutes later, Brian's room was done. When a drone went to take him from her, she growled in warning. Even the tendrils over him seemed to pulse with a form of possession. When he threatened to wake, her hand moved to gently rub his back to comfort him back down.

"Hera," Alex said in a soothing way. "you will be giving birth soon. He needs to sleep in his own bed. He has the same bed as ours, and his room is filled with toys and puzzles and all other sorts of things for him. And, yes, more is going to fill that room. But, he needs to sleep in his own bed. Hera, don't look at me like that!"

"Just give him ten more minutes," she said and rested a hand on his sleeping head. "He really needs it. I know this."

"Fine. But, you need to eat," he said. She nodded and got served up a steak. Brian didn't get the sleep she wanted him to get when the smell of food woke him up. He yawned and shook the sleep from his eyes. Then he gaped at the tentacles around him.

"Sorry. It's my hair," she giggled.

"What?" he asked. One of the tentacles draped over his shoulders gently, as the other two wrapped around his waist. "Um...is this why you are an Empress?"

"One of the reasons," she chuckled. With a bit of focus, she withdrew them to let them become locks of hair again. He was stunned.

"Eat up," Alex said when a steak was given to the boy. "Your room is ready. You'll be sleeping there from now on. Don't worry. You'll have direct access to her in time. She's always busy with eggs and other things. Your room isn't far from ours at all. It's just around the corner. Hmm? What now?"

"Arata wants to live. He vows to help us, if we can heal him. He...even offered to marry that girl we'll be bringing in. If she still wants him," Mamoru said when he was let in. "I had a very long talk with him. I told him that it wasn't my decision on that. First we'd have to see if she really liked him or thought of him as a cheap fuck."

"Don't swear with my son in the room," she muttered. Alex now looked at her with shock. Even Mamoru was surprised. "When he's eighteen days, then fine. He's only twelve now. Brian, you are not allowed to use such language until you are of legal age."

"Yes, Mom," he nodded. He seemed to smile. They all swore around him, but that was going to be stopped. Alex clearly didn't like what he was going to have to go through.

"We are still leaving in two days," Alex said.

"No. We wait for him to grow up first," she smirked. When he looked at her with a glare, she grinned. "I'm joking!"

"Bitch!" he muttered.

"Shut up," she warned. At how Brian was giggling, a tentacle gave a poke to his side to make him jump. "Fine. I suppose, since it's a habit around here, that swearing can happen. But not too often. And my rule for you to not say anything still stands."

"I know, Mom," he beamed and ate the pre-sliced steak. "This is good!"

"That is deer steak," Nick chuckled. "The animals that run around in the forests."

"Oh. I thought they were kinda cute. But...if they taste this good..." Brian grinned.

"That's why she likes them," the drone nodded. "When you finish eating, I will take you to your new room. Hurry up now."

Brian nodded and was able to finish off his plate. As the drone led the boy out, Brian asked, "So, who are you to Mom?"

"I am Nick. A drone. But, I'm the most powerful one. If she's left alone here, then I take care of her personally. I replace my Emperor. He has the ability to come through me to solve issues, if he must. If you think of my Emperor being like a dad, then you could think of me being the same way. Just remember this. In two days, the hive is going to start exposing itself. When that happens, you may be kept safe here. Of course, you won't be alone."

"But...I would want to go where they go," he frowned.

"You would see things that you are not ready to see. That's why you would stay behind. But, don't worry. In time, my Empress may make a special egg for you. A girl of your very own. What do you think of that?"

"I don't want that," he said. "I want to pick a real girl."

"All the girls here are real," Nick chuckled. "I came from an egg, too. I was the first one that hatched. Apollo is the first breeder male that hatched. Almost all of the other girls you see here have been hatched, too. So you know how they can be."

"I mean...I know I would get a pretty girl...but..." Brian sighed.

"We'll see what happens. New girls get brought in all the time now. If you don't want an egg from my Empress, I'm sure she will understand," Nick nodded. He nodded back and could only gape at the room that was presented for him. A large, flat-screen TV was on one wall, and it nearly took up the entirety of it. He may be upgraded to a projector much later. Hooked up to it were various gaming consoles with racks of various games for them. Books lined another wall, a computer to play more games on or do research on was next to the bookshelf. The bed took up another portion of the room, too, as well as the dresser set filled with designer clothes. A small eating area was near the middle of the room, and a personal bathroom was along the back of the room.

"Wow..." Brian said.

"You are the son of our Empress. She claimed you. You deserve no less," Nick smirked. "If you need anything, a drone will be standing right outside the door. Or, all you have to do is mentally ask for one. We can all hear you. Any of us will answer the call to help you. However, do remember, you are still a child. You still have schooling. Yes, we can teach you what we know by mentally showing you. Some humans can glean what we know. Many can't. If you can't hear us, then you will need to study with the others. Don't worry, though. Your mind evolves very fast. You'll catch up quickly."

"Okay," he said.

"Also, my Empress wants you to get a good bath. If you need help, a drone will come in to help you. You are being treated like a form of royalty. Don't let it get to you, though."

"I know. I'm just...happy that I was found..." he said softly.

"Where did we find you?" the drone asked and sat at the table with him. It could search the memories, but it wanted to know what the child said first.

"I was in Los Angeles. Everything was fine until I started to see ghosts. When I tried to tell my parents, they ignored me. They started to stop talking around me. Then...when we went shopping...they suddenly disappeared. I couldn't find them. I went to shopping people, and they tried to find them. But...they were gone..." he sniffled. Nick suddenly picked him up and took him directly to Agatha. Alex was thinking hard over what he learned now.  _The memories were all true._  Agatha was livid, as she rocked her son close.

"Do we find them?" Alex asked now.

"Brian?" Agatha said warmly and nuzzled him with a smile. "Do you want us to find them? To see why they left you?"

"I dunno..." he swallowed and rested against her. "I was...moved around so much...for two years...and they didn't try to find me..."

"I say we find them," she soothed. "We find them and make them admit their guilt."

"Do you remember where you used to live?" Nick asked.

"Um...I had a picture of my old house. I tried to find it...but..." he shivered.

"Well, this is your home now. With me," she smiled and kissed his forehead. Then she accessed the hive mind directly.  _:Find his parents. Get the facts. Kill them. NOW!:_

_:No. We find out why they did this first. Then, if they admit their guilt with no shame, we kill them. If they want to resolve things with their son, we will see what to do.:_ Alex said.

_:Bullshit! Brian is MINE!:_ Agatha seethed.  _:They abandoned him! They deserve no mercy! And he's gifted, too! I don't want him to think that he has to suffer anymore.:_

_:Mother, we should let Brian make the judgment on killing them.:_ Hypnos said wisely. That got a round of agreeable thoughts. She sighed and nodded.

"Brian," Alex said. "if we find them and find out why they left you...do you want them to live afterwards? Or do you want them to die?"

"I...don't know..." he blinked. When he looked at Alex, Agatha could only smile softly at how Alex gestured for his new son to come over for a small hug.

"I'm not like this with just anyone. Remember that," Alex grunted with a small smile.

"I know, Dad," he nodded.

"Would you want to see them again?" Alex asked now.

"No. I think...I would want to know why. But...I don't think I can...say if I want them...um..." Brian shivered. Alex could only nod.  _Such a decision at a young age wouldn't work._  The hive agreed that they would take the measure to show mercy or not. It would be easy to act as a Social worker for kids. They could easily pull it off.

"In the next couple days, a lot of things are going to happen, okay? New people will show up. Some will be good. Some will be bad. You are not to visit them, unless I say it's okay. You are to remain in your room, unless I call you or your mother calls you. It's for your safety. If you don't follow these rules, I'll beat your ass," Alex warned. That got Brian to nod and sniffle. Agatha gave her mate a wry look, but she knew her son would listen.

"Feel better?" she asked. Brian nodded and got another hug from her. "Go back to your room, take a bath, and rest up. When you feel better, play a few games. I'll give you today to have some fun. Tomorrow, though, you need to attend the school we have."

"Yes, Mom," he nodded again. She kissed his forehead and let Nick take him back to his room. When they got there, he said, "Um, I really don't want to be alone."

"I can have a couple drones in here to play some games with you. Even Robert can. Would that be okay?" the drone asked.

"Yeah," Brian smiled. He got a pat to his head, and Robert showed up to play a racing game with him. Once it was learned that he had video games in his room, he didn't find himself very lonely for long from the visits of other breeders. He laughed at the small banters that were given back and forth. He was home. He was never happier.


	122. Chapter 122

When Agatha was pregnant with breeders, they found out what they needed from Brian's parents. A drone had, indeed, appeared as a Social worker with a file on Brian in hand. They both stammered and said they had no son. They had, in fact, a new child already in Brian's old room. They had removed everything about their former son. They couldn't handle the gift their son had. Instead of taking proper measures, they had admitted to leaving him in the store.

As they gave their story, the drone thought to the hive mind. It was decided to leave them be with the new child, but that they would be heavily monitored. _If the child had the same gift, and the same thing happened with this one, they would not be given a secret second chance._

"Just sign these adoption papers, and I'll go," the drone said. The papers were signed to officially give up Brian. "Thank you. And you will be checked on. You will not know when or how. Just remember that. Do not make the same mistake."

They consented, but the drone sensed worry. Even it heard how the young child was talking happily to something nonexistent in the bedroom. They would be closely monitoring this child, too.  _And it was a young girl's voice that was heard._  A scout drone was already stationed in the house at this news.

When Brian learned what happened, he was getting rocked by Agatha. On hearing that he had a sister, he was only too happy that she would be watched.

"The ghost there told her that she has you as a brother. That you are safe and watched over. Even that the two of you may meet in time. Our drone heard this from how she was talking back. However, we need to find out where Leopold is hiding," Alex said. Brian seemed to shiver, but Agatha let a protective tentacle coil over him gently. "Where was he?"

"The lab," he said softly.

"Is there a way that he gets coaxed out? Can he be provoked?" Agatha asked.

"Um, he doesn't like being talked about. And, ah, he hates it when things are left messy. I think being messy will work better," Brian nodded. "He was glaring at me. He glares at any other of the kids, too. He thinks they will make a mess in the lab. He hates kids."

"Well, now he's going to hate me," Alex grinned. He pressed a kiss to his mate's mouth, let Nick come in to watch her, and he moved to the lab. He gestured for silence when Ragland saw him. Looking around, he took some basic water and lightly drizzled it over the counter. "Oh, look. I made a mess. No, I don't want it cleaned up."

For the first time since he could remember, he felt something glaring at him. Ragland found himself leaving the lab. What he sensed he clearly didn't like. Hariti wanted him out of the way, too. When Robert appeared, Alex looked at him and smirked. He was easily filled in by one of the drones, and he wanted in on the fun.

"I think I'll eat my lunch here and leave crumbs by the experimental slides," Robert smirked back. The hating presence got stronger.

"Oh, fuck off, Leopold!" Alex snarled. "I killed you once, I'll fucking do it again! Get the fuck out of my lab! It's not your lab anymore! It's mine! This whole base is mine! Go to Hell and rot, you sick, perverted fuck! Go on! Leave!"

"You have no more business here. You fucked up everything with how you treated Agatha! You had one of her tentacles get smashed in the cryo tube! All of this is  _your_  fault! You want to gain an ounce of forgiveness? Then leave. Get lost. You're fucking done here," Robert added in. "Be  _very_  glad that I didn't shove my fist down your throat when I had the chance! I would have made you shit teeth for the rest of your miserable life!"

"You are not needed here. Leave," Alex ordered and crossed his arms over his chest. "And all of the people here have viruses in their systems. Go ahead and try to possess one. It won't work. Get. The. Fuck. Out. Now."

The sensation of seething hatred happened again, but it was soon ignored. On this happening, Leopold knew that he lost. When the feeling of the angry spirit disappeared to show it was gone, Alex and Robert nodded to each other on a job well done. If there was one crucial thing that was caught on dealing with ghosts it was to be stern and demanding. Most of the time it always worked. It showed they were respected, but not needed. Leopold's ghost was almost at that point that he would have become a poltergeist. They had to order him to leave in the only way they knew best. The tactic clearly worked. They were lucky that Brian came along when he did. They didn't need a meddlesome ghost interfering with anything.

"Think John's next?" Robert asked.

"Yes. Nick said that he likes to hang out where the submarines are. Lynette is with him. They are trying to leave. Let's go," Alex nodded. At a mental order, all of the drones and breeders were gone from the area. When they got there, Alex stood tall and growled. "John. Lynette. I know you're both here. Tap on something for me. It's fine. I give you permission."

"We just want to know that you're here," Robert nodded. Very faintly in the distance, two distinct taps were heard. "Thank you for responding."

"Leopold is gone. The two of you are free to leave. If any others want to leave, they can leave, too. Don't worry about us. We're fine," Alex said. "Just don't piss off anyone else in the afterlife. We don't want any of you to come back. And don't make us want to find you."

"Dismissed," Robert nodded. Another sensation that something left took form. He nodded to Alex and got a nod back in kind.

"I'm going to check on my son," Alex muttered and sped off. When he reached his room, he paused when Brian jumped into his arms to hug him. "What's this about?"

"He was sleeping and suddenly woke up," Agatha frowned.

"One more, Dad," Brian swallowed. "I dreamt of it."

"Tell me who," Alex said.

"Um...a soldier. You killed him. He was tall and wanted to stay good. His name, ah, starts with a 'J', I think," he thought aloud. "He didn't want to join us."

"Jeremiah. I remember him. He was the one that was raised right. Why won't he leave?" Alex asked now. Brian motioned to be put down, and he took Alex by the hand to lead him somewhere. He was taken to the training section of the base. Then his son pointed to where the guns were. "Is he there?"

"Yeah. He likes to make sure that everything is in order. He doesn't want to leave, though. He...um...regrets not joining. That's why," Brian frowned.

"He does? Hmm. Can you talk to him?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Brian said. "Jeremiah?! Yeah, you! Come here."

"Tell him we can try to give him another chance," Alex muttered. "We have some of his blood. After I killed him, there was blood saved. Standard procedure. We can try and clone his body. If he thinks he can possess it, he is welcome to try. Can he do that?"

"He heard you. He wants to try," Brian nodded.

"Okay. Go back to your mother. I'll talk to Ragland. Jeremiah, if you're listening, you will know when to try and join up with the clone. If it doesn't work, then you can stay. As long as you don't piss me off. Got it?" Alex warned. Brian smiled to show it was agreed, and he ran off to do what Alex said. Alex sighed and turned. Then he paused when he saw Jeremiah's ghost in full. He was being saluted. He nodded back and left the area. Now he knew that he hated ghosts. _And they were harder to get rid of than humans._

When he got back to his room, he learned that Brian was challenged to a game by Dionysus. That had him smile, and he gazed at his mate.

"Brian didn't want an egg. From what I hear," she said.

"Really?" Alex frowned and had Nick move to take the drone's place.

"Yes. He said he wants a real girl. I figure when he comes of age that we'll let him find one to his standards," she smiled.

"Better off with an egg," Alex snorted.

"Well, I told him he had time to decide. He agreed," she chuckled now.

"I'll give him until he's nineteen. Then I'll tell him to make up his fucking mind. Exactly like that," Alex grinned. At her scowl, he laughed softly and kissed her. "Jeremiah regretted his decision. A cloned body will be made for him. He'll try to take it over. If it doesn't work, I told him he could stick around. Just not to piss me off."

"Good. It's strange dealing with ghosts! At least Leopold is gone," she grumbled.

"Funny how we didn't notice anything until Brian came around," he shrugged. "But, we're viruses. We aren't sensitive to this shit."

"I was thinking of something," she smiled.

"Hmm?"

"When Brian comes of age, you could make him into something like yourself," she giggled. He seemed to glare at her. At first. Then the idea began to appeal to him. "He would still be a part of the hive mind. If he goes against us, you can kill him."

"True..." Alex thought. When he saw Loki and Pontus appear, they looked thoughtful.

"Do it, Father," Loki said.

"We are, pretty much, the same thing. We are simply birthed from Mother," Pontus said.

"You could also send him to various places, if you have to. He could act in your stead. Sure, the Kings could, too, but Brian would become your direct line. We would have to change his name once the change emerged, though," Loki said. "We can name him Orion."

"Really?" Alex blinked at this. Agatha found herself musing at this. "When he has a moment to spare, bring him in. I'll need to talk to him."

"Of course, it would be best for him to be fully grown," Pontus advised.

"I'm aware of that," Alex nodded. When he saw Brian coming in, the boy was smiling.

"Chronos came in to take over my game. He said you were going to call for me," the boy said and hopped on the bed. "You need to talk to me?"

"Yes. You two can get lost. Go on. Scram," Alex said and pointed at his older sons. They laughed and did just that. "Brian, a unique opportunity may be granted to you. If you want it. So, I'm only going to explain this once."

"Okay," he nodded.

"When you come of age, I can give you a direct portion of me. You will become another part of me, but still be linked to the hive mind. Normally, I would say no. But, you could be an exception. Only because, if you pissed me off, I would take care of you in my own way. What do you think of this? Would you want this? Of course, I won't let you convert any new humans. That is for myself and your mother only. What do you think?"

"Wow..." Brian blinked.

"It's a lot to think about," Agatha nodded. "but this would show your importance to us. You could help lead the drones into areas, if Alex can't get there."

"It's kinda scary to think about," he admitted. "Um...I have time to think?"

"Yes. Until you become eighteen. So, you have six days, if that. Under a week," Alex nodded. "Think carefully. Once it's done, it's irreversible."

"Okay!" he nodded. "I'll think about it."

"Good. Go on and play," Alex said. When he left, Agatha could only chuckle. Then her belly growled furiously and threatened to shatter her good mood.

"I'm getting hungry," she muttered and shifted herself. Alex helped her move, and Kim brought in a steak for her. "How is the horse in the stable?"

"She's doing good! She's fully recovered. Steve's been able to ride her around in various parts of the station to help her exercise. Even Amunet has been helping there when she can. They included farm care as one of the schooling exercises, too. Same with gardening. Hmm...ah! The alien DNA just arrived. Ragland and Hedeyasu are going over it now. Other scientists that we recruited are also checking it out. Of course, all are heavily monitored. What else is there..." Alex mumbled, as he checked the link.

_:My Emperor! It's Heimdall!:_ The King said when he contacted Alex directly.  _:I have discovered a possible problem!:_

_:What problem?:_ Alex asked with full focus on him.

_:A drone was discovered in the United States White House! It is now quarantined!:_ He grimaced in the link.  _:What do you want to do?:_

_:How was it discovered?:_ Agatha frowned.

_:A routine camera scan. Unscheduled. It had taken over one of the local patrons and got caught. They are getting ready to draw blood. It's strapped down to a table in one of their labs. Yes, the White House has a laboratory! Underneath it!:_ Heimdall growled.

_:Infiltrate it. Now. Stall everything.:_ Alex ordered the entire hive link.  _:Fuck up EVERYONE that gets in our way! Fuck, take the President hostage if you have to! The moment Chronos is of age, has a Queen, and gone, Agatha and I will board a submarine to get there. She and I will finish everything. It's time to start bringing this to a close. Go!:_

_:We can assist you?:_ Hermanubis asked.

_:We wouldn't deny you the pleasure of having some fun.:_ Agatha chuckled. Then she looked at Alex, but kept the link open.  _:And kidnap the President? Are you serious?:_

_:Why the fuck not?:_  He snorted in the link.  _:These fucks had it coming. Lock down the White House. They want terrorists? They got them!:_

_:My Emperor, we shouldn't do this at such an extreme.:_ Hypnos advised.

_:Then what do you suggest?:_ Agatha asked him.

_:A strategic coup d'etat. If you go to the conference room, we can discuss this at length.:_ He said. Alex mumbled, but he had to agree. _Hypnos was the wisest King out of all of them. It was how he was born, anyways._ Agatha gave him a lusty kiss, and he checked her belly.

"I have three hours. Fine. Nick will fuck you senseless, if needed," he said. At how a tentacle coiled around his shoulders, he paused.

"Can you talk to them here?" she asked. "Please? I really feel that I don't see that much of you anymore. I really miss you, Zeus."

"Hera..." he sighed and found himself leaning back into the bed for her. He knew it was all the pregnancy hormones from the eggs. "Okay. I'll have Nick get me something to talk to them with. Maybe it's better this way."

"I love you," she whispered and kissed him deeply.

"I love you, too," he smiled and ran his thumb under her jaw. When Nick came in with a small laptop, other drones appeared with wires and cables to hook up to the satellite feeds. He was in the middle of kissing her hotly when the screen flicked on. His clothes had already moved off of him, and he was under the blanket with her. He did have her keep something on over her chest. though. He didn't want to give the Kings any form of visuals about her. Then he casually flipped them all off when small chuckles and sniggers were heard. At the sound of grumbles, he grinned and looked over to glare at them. "She's horny. I'm helping her. The laptop will be turned around for you all to talk to Nick while I'm fucking her. Don't like it? Tough shit!"

"Of course, my Emperor," Coeus chuckled.

"I'll still be listening in. And, if you hear her moaning, it just means that I'm that good," Alex grinned wickedly. Nick nodded and turned the laptop on the floating table to aim at him. The volume was mildly turned up so that Alex could hear everything without resorting to Nick.

"So, we don't want to reveal ourselves to the President yet. What can we do?" Hermanubis asked. "What would be the safest thing?"

"The press," Osiris said with a grin. "Let them start to catch us in the act of doing things. This way, they know that it's not just one drone they have to worry about."

"General public panic?" Cronus grinned wickedly.

"It can be done," a King said.

"You think so, Lelantos?" Hermanubis grinned. This King loved the thrill of the hunt as much as he did. They easily got along very well.

"Definitely," Lelantos gave a dashing smile amidst his locks of black hair. Sapphire blue eyes gave a mischievous grin with his mouth, as he mused. Even his tone was light and carefree. It fooled everyone that came into contact him. Except for Alex and Agatha, of course. Flexing his muscular chest, he said, "We'll let loose a few Hunters first. Then our drones will kill them."

"Like we discussed before," Hypnos agreed.

"Public areas. The best crowds. Fairs. Parks. Malls. Those places are best," Oceanus muttered out. Ran was behind him to give him a light neck rub, and he sighed. He really disliked talking for so long unless it was to her. At her soft whisper, he smiled and kissed her gently. Nodding to her, she moved off to fetch him something to eat. Fumio was already drawing up maps for them around Japan's busiest sections. At a sight of what he was looking at, a new form of interest took place.

"Are we doing this worldwide?" a King with a rather beautiful, artistic face murmured out. His golden blond hair was parted to the sides, and his body could have been sculpted from fine marble from the perfection he held. His eyes had a dreamy, erotic look to their greenish blue depths. When he looked over, he said, "Leto! You should be lying in bed."

"I'm sorry, Eros," she sighed, and he pushed a curled lock of dark brown back. She was the daughter of Meret and Bruce. She was just as beautiful as he was with dark lashes along eyes of chocolate brown. She was also heavily pregnant with drones, but she was still able to move for a short time. "I had an idea for you."

"Do you?" he smiled and let her sit in his lap.

"The Hunters should be released all at the same time," she smiled. "That way, no one can point the blame at anyone."

"Do it!" Alex shouted to be heard. "I like that!"

"Find the best spots to hide and place them. Hermanubis, you and Sigyn should start coordinating right now. Lelantos can let his drones help you. The Hunters will be caught faster. Larger Hunters should be saved for prime locations. Smaller ones can be released along smaller target outskirts. Have drones ready to subdue them the moment all seems lost. We will be praised, called heroes, and then we will show our true nature after we have gained the trust of the humans that wanted us dead. Got it?" Nick said, as Alex's thoughts were pushed through.

"What of the drone in the White House?" Osiris asked.

"Kill it," Agatha whispered to Alex. "When it is about to get shots of something, kill it off. I will not have it suffer in the hands of the enemy."

"All right," Alex nodded and he focused on the drone. It was in the process of being experimented on. Then he made sure that all of the new Kings were paying attention. He showed how he cut off one member from the hive mind. He let them feel the pain the drone felt as it died.  _:Don't. Fucking. Piss. Me. Off.:_

All of the Kings seemed to tremble as one. The Queens did, too, as did all of the rest in the hive link. Alex needed to show that he was Emperor. No matter what happened, his word was law. He always enforced it.

_:My Emperor.:_ Cronus said reverently.  _:Did you want us to start on this right away?:_

_:Yes. Do it now. Gather the Hunters. You all have one day. Maybe two. Get on it. Now.:_ Alex ordered. Nick shut down the laptop once the order was received, but the laptop was set aside. Now with a new plan in motion, Alex was free to enjoy his mate's warm embrace. And he had to wait for Chronos to become and adult and get the fuck off his base.


	123. Chapter 123

A day later, Chronos had his Queen and was sent off to a base near Russia. She was a beautiful female that was birthed from the egg for him. As much as it was usually a Queen waiting for a King, it was the opposite here. But, he still had to claim her as the others did before him. She called herself Hekate, and her skin was as pale as her hair was alabaster black. Even her eyes were such a dark blue that they almost looked black, and the light sparkled like small stars within them when she smiled. Hekate was known to be a goddess of the night. She had clearly gained that aspect with what he desired.

Vera had given birth with the others around her timeline, and her daughter was named Ananke. She was a beautiful blond-haired girl with her father's steel grey eyes. When the others were deciding on names, they knew it was time to go to Norse names for new Kings and Queens.

"We're exhausting the Titan names," Hermes chuckled.

"Well, we have Loki," Dionysus grinned. "I think it would be fine."

"That's right! Loki was a Norse name, huh?" Apollo blinked.

"I'm sure we'll work everything out," Hermes shrugged. "If we need to start dipping into Japanese names or other names, we will. We'll see what Norse names we can use next."

"That's fine and dandy, but we know what's around the corner now. Mother is birthing her current eggs, and then our Emperor is taking her from here. They have all the fun," Dionysus seemed to pout. Apollo rose a brow at him, and Hermes smirked.

"You got to go last time with Apollo. Athena and Aphrodite were horny as hell when the two of you got back. Do you really want to do that to them again?" Hermes grinned.

"Well, this is supposed to be the trip to finally end all the bullshit," Apollo shrugged. "We may end up sitting this one out. There are so many new Queens now! They need our protection. Not much else to say about it. What do you guys think?"

"Possibly a point made," Hermes nodded. "Anyways, Dana needs me."

"Does she?" Dionysus grinned.

"She does. Ragland just treated her with that special shot for me to have another son. I have to use this window to ensure it happens. Chronos did just leave the base, too. So, if I don't see you all later," Hermes shrugged. They laughed and waved him off. When Alex appeared, he seemed to glance at them both and nod.

"You two shitheads are staying here," Alex muttered. "But, I do have something to ask."

"Yes, my Emperor?" Apollo asked now.

"This new base under the White House," he said and sat down. "What do you both think? Should I just say, oh...fuck it? Take over the damned thing and wipe out the humans? Or should I let a Hunter loose in the general proximity and sneak in unannounced? There are many ways that I can do this. And many ways I can get this done."

"I thought we were done with bases," Apollo muttered.

"There's always that last one," Dionysus sighed. "What does George think?"

"Well, he did get his female. She looks almost exactly like his wife, save the eyes, so he's happy with that. Hmm. He may know something," Alex mused. "Thanks."

"Of course!" Dionysus grinned. Alex got up and contacted George's mate. She was a pretty brunette with Robert's steel grey eyes. Her figure was nothing to be admired, but it didn't matter. She kept George happy, and that was all that mattered.

"My Emperor?" she asked. She was two days pregnant now as she regarded him.

"Menhit," Alex nodded. "George used to work in the White House. What does he know of the base underneath it? Is there a good way in?"

"Ah! Yes! He actually wanted me to give you something," she smiled. She moved to a desk drawer and took out some hand-drawn blueprints. "These are for you. White House details, ways in and out, and a way into the base without any suspicion. You can even use some of his DNA to slip in and use his access cards."

Alex looked at her thoughtfully. Then he looked at the blueprints.

"Fuck your mate hard when he returns as a form of gratitude," he smirked. That got her to blush, swallow down a laugh, and nod in agreement. Even as he walked away, the plans were being sent to Hermanubis. _It would be perfect. I could take over the clone. Or, to simplify things, a drone would be given a vial of George's blood for a temporary effect. I could then disguise myself and follow the drone in. Agatha would go in a crate marked 'fragile' and carried in by them as a new specimen. The base was going to be torn apart from the inside, and they would work their way up into the White House. No one would suspect a single thing._

_:When do we leave?:_ Hermanubis asked eagerly.

_:Right now. Ready or not.:_ Alex ordered. The submarines were prepared. A crate was easily obtained and waiting. A drone was given a small flask of George's blood to consume when they were ready. Agatha was in her white camouflage uniform and waiting patiently for him with Nick at the loading docks. Alex pulled her close and kissed her roughly before leading her into the submarine. Ragland jogged over to press a few loaded needle shots into Nick's hand to take with them.

"These contain pure crude protein," Ragland explained. "Give them to anyone that needs a good strength boost. Directly apply them to the stomach for instant effect."

"Excellent!" Nick grinned. "We have five here. They will not be wasted."

"George is working with that alien DNA. So far, it's very strange. I've never seen anything like it! But, from what we have seen, the Hunters started to gain their own hive link when it was introduced to them. We are being very cautious about this," he said. "Who knows how much intellect they could gain now? It's a bit unsettling."

"Kill off any that attempt to overthrow us," Nick said sternly.

"Understood!" he agreed. Robin, Kim, Aden, and Eddie showed up next to settle in the submarine, and Nick moved inside to pocket the shots and seal the hatch doors. Agatha was settled next to Alex in the luxury bed, and she was growling at him.

"We can't fuck yet," she muttered, as his hand roamed over her.

"I know. I just want to touch," he grinned. When his hand moved to rub between her thighs, she hissed and moved from his side quickly. At the glare she gave him, he just shrugged.

"Asshole!" she growled and seemed to pout. When he tried to move close to her again, her hair became a wall of spikes. All he did was sigh and lightly trace over a spike to feel her shudder. She was actually building up a resistance to this.

"Come on, Hera," he growled out. "I know we can't fuck. And I know that you don't complain. You know how much of a turn-on it is to see you pissed off!"

"Should I be happy and cheerful to you?" she mused from inside the cocoon.

"Fuck that," he growled and continued to touch along the base of another spike.

"Should I start singing happy kid songs to you, too?"

"Hera..."

"I know! Maybe I'll start ignoring you and keep focusing on Nick. Or maybe a puzzle," she thought aloud. Now Alex started to get pissed.

"You bitch!" he growled. "You're cock blocking me on fucking purpose!"

"Of course, I am!" she snapped back. "You know we can't fuck. You're doing things to me that make me want to fuck. How the hell am I supposed to react to you? Happy and willing to make us wait on a fucking boat again?! No! We need to get this shit done!"

"I know," he groaned and lay back on the bed in a form of defeat.

"Think of it this way," she said, as her hair settled out again to let her move and curl up against him. "If we do this right, we can fuck in the Oval Office."

"Hmm..." he thought.

"You could consume the President..." she muttered in his ear.

"No. For all that, we could go through the voting and I can have you become the First Lady. Our drones and breeders could outdo any real voting booths, too. Then, after I become the next President, I can reveal us to the populace. They would have voted us in..." Alex mused aloud. That got her laughing at the irony.

"We should do that," she grinned. "It would easily work in our favor."

"I think you're right," Alex grinned in a wicked way. He sent the thought to the hive mind. The vote was unanimous to go with it. "We'll clean out the base under the White House first. We'll keep tabs on who runs what. If this guy wins the voting again, I'll just take him over and kill the wife with him. But, it would be messy."

"I can't take her over," she shrugged. "It may be easier and funnier to get voted in."

"Fine. We'll plan for it. Fuck. I wanted to be done with this! How much longer until the next election?" he asked and pulled her close.

"Hmm," she thought. "Hypnos says that there is a month before the next election candidates are able to start being selected. I think we can do that. Start leeching ourselves out wherever we tour. With the bank funds that John had, we can easily fund and donate around. Just enough to tease the locals with what 'goodwill' we have. Then, maybe a month after we get sworn into service..."

"We reveal ourselves and fuck everyone over," he grinned and kissed her hard. "But, something tells me that it may take too long. I want this entire thing over. Done with. No more waiting around. I mean, granted, we could visit places out in the open to see where to put Hunters properly. But...why go through all the trouble?"

"Zeus, can you only imagine the looks on all of those humans' faces when they see that  _they_  were the ones that elected to have a virus to lead them?" she grinned wickedly.

"Yes, yes," he mumbled and enjoyed the feel of her hands lightly massaging over his chest. "Less than an hour and we're there. Everything is ready for when we arrive."

"Good. Now roll over so I can massage your back," she ordered. He smirked and did that for her. It was how she kept him happy for the next hour. When they arrived, they moved quickly from the submarine, and she was placed into a crate. When her hair tried to instinctively find a way out from the air holes that were punched in, he found himself grinning.

"I have a better idea on who could try to be voted in," Alex muttered in one of the holes.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Robert."

"Oh! If he wants to do that, it may be easier. It will leave you free to scope the surrounding areas, and he can keep an eye on me," she agreed. "We could even have some drones take over a few secret service men."

"And, if any try to get the upper hand on him, we can take them out," Alex muttered, as his disguise came into play. He still had the scientist from the last base in his system. As he was accompanying a drone in the form of George, it was perfect.

"Very true. The kids agree," she said. "Speaking of which, Osiris and Hermanubis are already inside with Isis and Sigyn."

"Good. Now keep quiet. We're about to go in," he grunted and helped heft the box around. Her tentacled hair easily kept her body from shifting around too much, as she was lifted and jostled. He snapped into snobby scientist mode by shouting at the ones moving the box to be more careful or suffer the consequences. The moment her confinement was settled, and the box was pried open by hazmat, her tentacles launched out and killed any human that was around her. When she found a drone, a gentle, reassuring squeeze was given before her hair moved to find the next target. Alex was quick to help exterminate the humans with Hermanubis and Sigyn.

Osiris and Isis were able to take command of the base. A new breeder pair was established to live in the base, and the video feeds were uplinked to their base in Antarctica. The White House would be easily monitored this way, too.

"Too easy," Hermanubis grinned.

"Good," Alex snorted and gathered up Agatha. "I'm fucking your mother. We'll leave eggs here and head back. Get information on any and all voting details on who runs them. The best places to start. Also, see if your father wants to do this to fuck up the military officials that tried to kick him out. If he runs for President, they can't stop him."

"He would be making his country for the better in the end this way," Agatha grinned.

"Father is laughing. And he agrees to do it," Osiris chuckled.

"Good. Call a council in the hive mind. I'll be paying attention," Alex snorted. He kicked aside a few limbs from a scientist that got in his way. As they passed by a room, a soft sniffling was heard. Alex and Agatha looked at each other, and he set her down. Some form of motherly instinct was quite apparent in her now, as she looked for the source of the sound. At the sight of the female toddler, she smiled warmly and crouched low to the ground to show she was harmless. The little curly red head had very pretty green eyes, and they were filled with tears.

"It's okay," Agatha soothed gently. "Where is your mommy?"

"Mama..." the little girl whimpered. She was too scared to talk. Agatha looked up at her mate and frowned. He groaned and shook his head when he knew that his mate was likely going to claim this child as hers now.

"Is mama gone?" Agatha frowned now. At the sight of more tears and a large, frowning look, Agatha reached over to pluck up the terrified child to comfort her. The child burst into tears with wails of childish fear escaping her, as she got cradled. Soft whispers of motherly gentleness were given now, and the child relaxed. She rubbed her back when the hiccups started to soothe her down a bit more. At the sight of a small cut on the girl's arm, a drone was called to gently collect a blood sample.

"She is orphaned. She was brought here out of good will. Possibly used for genetic testing," the drone said. Agatha gave a hiss, but quickly curbed it to soothe the frightened child. She even kept her hair as normal as possible to keep from scaring the child.

"Mama is here now," Agatha whispered and rose up with her in her arms. "So is daddy."

"Da-da?" the girl sniffled. Alex rolled his eyes, but he found himself holding the girl when she reached for him.

"Fine," Alex muttered and patted the girl's back to calm her. "And we are not calling her Annie. That would be too convenient."

"I wasn't going to suggest that," Agatha chuckled.

"Her name is Emily," the drone said.

"I still plan to fuck you," Alex grumbled to his mate.

"Don't swear," Agatha growled lightly. Alex let out a massive sigh at this. "Wait until she's sleeping. Then you can do what you like."

"I am starting to dislike kids," he muttered. But, it was how Emily seemed to press herself into him that made him tense. It was with protection, though. "Fine, I give. This girl is now my daughter. If any object, they can piss off."

"Piss?" the girl mumbled.

"No. He said kiss," Agatha correctly lightly. At that, the girl pressed a slightly messy kiss to Alex's cheek and seemed to blush.

"So, she's trainable. Good to know," Alex mused slightly. "Okay, Emily. Mom and dad have work to do. You are going to go to your brother, Aden. He will play with you."

"No!" Emily whimpered and clung to him. "Da-da!"

"No more kids!" Alex grumbled. Agatha only smiled and laughed softly. "Fine. You can be with me. Just be good."

"Love Da-da..." she whimpered softly. She was a daddy's girl all the way through. She would learn swiftly once a shot of blood was given to her. As for now, he was forced to let her cling to him. He grumbled about another cock block in a non-descript way.

"Emily, are there any others?" Agatha asked and gently petted her hair. The girl didn't answer, though. She was simply too young to know.

"Her memories are jumbled. She is a two-year-old," the drone shrugged.

"I get it," Alex said. When he walked into the hallway to confront Hermanubis, the breeder male paused with complete shock. "This girl claimed me and your mother. You disrespect her, you're dead. And you can believe me on this. I'm not thrilled, either. Let's finish up here and get my new daughter home. She'll be grown up within a month. It will be plenty of time to get Robert's face out there to start running for Presidential candidacy. He would know how to do that better than me, anyways. Were there any other children found here? Or is Emily the only one that was here?"

"She may have been the only one. Hmm. Bring the drone with George's figure over. I want to see if she recognizes him," Agatha said. Alex nodded for it to be done, and the drone came over. When Emily looked over at the drone, she whimpered and shivered hard. At the feel of something wet trailing over Alex's arms, Agatha now realized how scared she was of George.  _She peed all over Alex._  "Give her to me!"

"Take her!" Alex scowled. "Okay. She's scared of him. Badly."

"I'll clean her up," Agatha said and sped off to a bathroom.

"I thought she was wearing a diaper?!" Hermanubis gaped.

"It was, apparently, very full. I doubt she received proper care. Nick. Go follow her," Alex growled and was handed a towel to clean off his arms with. The drone was clearly concerned now and sped off to help Agatha.

"Who pissed on you?" Osiris asked with disbelief.

"My new daughter. She's two. She hates George," Alex muttered.

"Oh..." Osiris blinked.

"I'm sure the memories will fade. George will simply have to be nicer to her when she sees him again. What do you think she remembers?" Alex asked the drone that took her blood.

"He kept sticking her with needles," the drone said.

"Fuck..." Alex sighed. "We'll give her Agatha's blood when she sleeps. George is not allowed to touch her. What do his memories show of what he did to her?"

"He was using her to clone children," Osiris grimaced. "To try and clone his kids."

"If he didn't have Menhit, he would have been slaughtered by Agatha. And by me. He is not allowed to lift a fucking hair on her from this point forward. And any meetings between them are to be monitored. Heavily," Alex ordered.

"Yes, my Emperor," Hermanubis nodded.

"As my daughter, she is now a princess, in a way. Same with Brian being my son and a prince. She is to be treated as such until I talk to her to warn her of her place. Until then, I understand why she is like this. Shit. She wants me," Alex sighed and sped off to find Agatha and his new daughter. Nick nodded to let him in, as the drone guarded against any others. Agatha was mildly bathing her in a small tub. When he walked in, he noticed right away how livid his mate was. Then he saw why from the small bruising marks all over Emily's tiny body.

"The bastard was collecting genetic samples of her!" Agatha seethed, as she tenderly washed her daughter. "If Menhit wasn't with him..."

"I know all too well," Alex nodded. At how Emily looked at him, he smiled and moved kneel down to get a wet hand placed on his face. "Hey!"

She laughed softly and whimpered at a sore spot that was carefully rubbed clean. The next twenty minutes were spent with a form of parental care to his new daughter. After she was cleaned up and given a new diaper with clothing, Agatha was quick to hold her close. She softly whispered a lullaby, as she got rocked. In the end, Emily wanted Alex. He sighed and gestured for her. At the snuggling she gave him, he kept a hand on her back to calm her.

"She really likes you," Agatha smiled.

"You think so?" he muttered sarcastically. When she finally fell asleep on his shoulder, he made no plans to move her. He checked her mouth and studied how the baby teeth were coming in. A small nursery that was easily removed was being added to Agatha's room. Even the submarine was getting this small, yet temporary, upgrade. By the time she woke up ten minutes later, she was whimpering with hunger. He was forced to sit down and help her eat small bits of food. Kim had skillfully prepared a nice, tasty meal for her. Agatha was able to help her some, but she clearly wanted Alex to do most of it.

"Dionysus would be smirking," Hermanubis chuckled.

"Dionysus will be eating my fist if he says anything," Alex growled in a wary way. He felt a bit different when it came to protecting a female offspring. On reflection, he now realized that it was how the other specialized breeders were with their Queens.  _It was interesting to know._  He was able to glean what Hermes was able to tell him on reflection. Even Sobek and Imhotep were able to offer him advice for this rare event.

He could have asked the breeder females, but coming from the males gave him a broader perspective. They knew what to tell him that he could relate to. Agatha found herself slightly amazed when Alex even played with her for a little bit by tickling her to encourage her to eat the 'plane' of food on the spoon. It was an interesting change, but it wouldn't be permanent. Like Robert, he did like the family life. He just didn't want to stick around for all of it.

"Would you help with diaper changes?" Agatha teased.

"No," Alex muttered and poked his daughter to have her laugh. "That's Nick's job."

"Pleased to be of service, my Emperor," Nick said with amusement. "What is the plan now? Have Robert show his face in the public eye?"

"I really don't want him out there. Have a drone do it for us. He can say that he's married now, wear a wedding ring, of course, and make sure that Osiris has all the necessary paperwork for that. Yes, Alex, I know that I would have to pose as his wife. What we could do is have you take some of his blood before getting sworn in," Agatha grinned softly.

"We can do that," Alex nodded. "What does he think?"

"He's all for using a drone and having Agatha as a wife figure. As for you gaining his face and form, he's skeptical about that. He would rather have you as his Vice President. You would always be at his side and ready to go," Osiris chuckled. "Or, we could have me be the Vice President with John's form."

"So many ways to pull this off," Alex mused and bounced Emily on his knee to help burp her a little. "What's going on in the White House above us?"

"Interesting. The President is requesting to speak with George," Osiris mused.

"Really? Hmm. In a phone call?" Alex asked. At the motorboat sounds that Emily was making on getting bounced, he grinned and started to tickle her. Agatha was simply amazed at this side of her mate. On catching her beaming glance, he muttered, "I'll bounce you on my third knee later. I can promise that."

She barked out laughter at his wicked grin and gestured for Osiris to answer his question. Her son was able to calm himself down from his outburst of laughter and said, "Phone call for now. Should the drone take it here?"

"Yes," Alex nodded. "Wait. No. Emily will get scared. Nick, listen to the conversation in another room for me. Go."

"You really are concerned for her!" Hermanubis blinked with surprise.

"It's not just that. I don't want her to piss on me again," Alex muttered. That got Agatha snickering at her mate, and he casually flipped her off. He may not have to say the swear, but he got his point across easily. At the nibble she gave his finger, he cringed. "That's not fair!"

"I was just acknowledging what you said," she smirked. At the small lick next, he almost lost it. If it wasn't for Emily trying to babble out her words in a happy toddler way, he knew that Agatha would have been plastered against the floor with him.

"Go to big brother Osiris, okay?" Alex said to his daughter.

"No!" Emily said and shook her head. Then she hugged Alex and patted his chest.

"Great," he seemed to mope. At Nick's report that the President was only asking how various research projects were going, false reports were given and left alone. They didn't want the man to know what was going on right under his nose. Alex knew that he needed to be with his mate, and Osiris was given an idea by Hermes. A small cookie was brought, and the child was easily bribed to sit and bounce on Osiris's knee.

"I think you have until she eats this cookie. We'll have a couple more, but I'll tell you when she cries for you," Osiris chuckled.

"Remember. That's my daughter," Alex growled. Osiris nodded respectfully and watched him leave with his mother. At the small frown she gave him, Osiris cheered her up with a few tickles and a reassuring smile that he would be right back.

"You already like her?" Agatha smiled.

"I may like her," Alex grunted and pulled her close in an empty bedroom. "but I love you. And you know it."

"Of course, I do," she smiled and let him finally lay claim to her.


	124. Chapter 124

Later that day, Brian was overjoyed to see his new baby sister. Osiris and Robert were already planning on how much funding was going to be used for the Presidential campaign. There was a slightly heated debate on why they should even bother to go through with such a thing. Cronus thought it was a complete waste of time.

"We should just take them all out!" he growled.

"And then what? Fight off a unified military mob? At least with this, we can travel around. We can avoid full exposure, and infiltrate other military buildings in hiding. There would be nothing more pleasing to me than to know the layout grid that our enemies have. Think about it. Yes, it will be a bit more time to pull off, but it will be better for us in the long run," Hypnos said calmly. The Kings were in the conference room with various breeder males. Nick was standing in for Alex, though. Emily was sleeping on his chest in the bedroom.

"Glad we got that laptop in here," Alex muttered. Agatha was pregnant with breeder eggs now and contentedly eating a large steak. Emily had received a shot of blood when she was sleeping on the submarine, so her body was starting to grow in a slow, yet sure way. When Brian came in to sit on the bed, he beamed at his sister.

"And what are you doing in here?" Agatha smiled. "I thought you would be busy with studies. Or at least with a new game."

"I know, Mom," he smiled. "I just wanted to make sure that Emily is okay."

"She's dead asleep. Nick is in a meeting for me. You need to go back to your room and hit the books," Alex said. "We are going to be very busy in the next few days."

"We are always busy," Brian frowned.

"Can't be helped," he snorted. "Shit has to get done. Lounging around on our asses does nothing. And don't look at me that way, Hera!"

"You and your swearing habits," she muttered. Alex smirked at her and regarded his son again. They had both decided to use their true names around any children that claimed them as parents to show a form of importance.

"Oh, Dad," Brian said. "Um, I was thinking about what you said. On you giving me a part of you. What all would happen?"

"I'm not sure. It would be a first for me," Alex admitted. "Just remember. If you try to go against me, I will kill you off."

"Dad, I doubt I would want to," Brian said. "You saved me. You helped me when I needed it. And I've seen you mad, too."

"Have you?" he grinned.

"Yeah. Dionysus showed me how much you like to have walls replaced," Brian grinned. At that, Alex grew out a claw and smirked. When Emily whimpered softly, he sighed and let his hand revert back to gently pat her hair to calm her. When she started to suck on her thumb, Alex rolled his eyes a bit, but he continued to comfort her.

"It's not that much longer," Agatha chuckled. "Just a couple more days."

"I don't know. This attitude may wear off when she's six," he grunted, as he kept a hand on her back. When she woke up sniffling and whimpering, he pulled her up to let her rest on his shoulder. "Hey. No crying, missy! You're fine."

"I think she's hungry," Agatha smiled. At the sudden outburst heard over the laptop speakers, Alex now homed in on the link to find out what happened.

_:What the fuck is going on?!:_ Alex snarled out.  _:My daughter just woke up crying. I'm trying to calm her down. Now I'm hearing a fight. What is going on?:_

_:Sorry, my Emperor.:_  Hypnos sighed.  _:Cronus is still fighting the idea of a Presidential election. I am trying to explain the benefits, and he doesn't care.:_

_:Cronus, get your fucking head out of your ass. Now.:_ Alex glowered.  _:I am in_ nomood _to deal with your bullshit! Yes, we are only delaying the inevitable. Yes, it's a waste of time. However, we can infiltrate a lot more areas that are denied to the public. So shut the fuck up and go with it! If you don't, I'll have you go as one of the personal guards. What this means is that you can't be with Rhea, and she'll have to fuck Carlos while you're gone.:_

_:I'll go with the plans.:_ Cronus muttered, as he gave in. No King liked to have their Queen stay with a breeder stud for so long.

_:Good. Glad we agreed on something. Now start helping the others scout out where to take this stupid campaign. Do something productive.:_ Alex growled out again and dropped the conversation. "Cronus is pain in my ass!"

"What else is new?" Agatha smiled and let Emily cuddle between them happily. She was fed a couple small slivers of meat, and Kim set aside some soft fruit dishes for her.

"Yeah, yeah," Alex muttered and endured another sloppy kiss from his daughter. He kissed her forehead to let her giggle at him and focus on the sweet fruit meal.

"Is Cronus always like that?" Brian frowned.

"He was the first King born. The ego is permanent. As long as he tones it down around me then it's fine," Alex said. "If you took a piece of me, you would become my direct offshoot. A true son. Yes, your mother and I have made twins together, but they were birthed as eggs. You would be a direct product from me. You also have your mother's blood in you, too."

"I know," Brian nodded. "Well...I kinda want to."

"There is no such thing as 'kinda' with me. You either do or you don't," Alex warned. "Once it's done, there is no turning back. You have a few more days to decide."

"Okay," he nodded again. He got up to walk back to his room. On seeing Dionysus, he smiled and waved. Dionysus easily sensed something was wrong.  _It was time for a pep talk._

"Hey! You look sort of down. Want to talk about it?" the breeder male asked.

"Well," Brian frowned. "Dad offered me to gain a part of him. To be something like him. I dunno what to really think on it."

"I would take it," he said. "You really would be his son if you did."

"I know. It's what I was thinking, too. Dad wants me to wait until I'm grown up, though. I guess I can understand why."

"He wants you to be an adult to ensure you don't need to grow anymore. Would you expect others to take you seriously, if you were always a kid?" Dionysus chuckled. "Besides, I'm sure he would offer the same choice to Emily when she was old enough."

"You think he would?" Brian grinned.

"Sure! Why? Do you like her? I could see you being with her," he shrugged.

"What? Ew! No! She's my sister!" Brian frowned.

"Athena's my sister, you know."

"What?!"

"Oh! You didn't know?" Dionysus blinked. At Brian's slow shake of his head, the breeder male laughed softly. He brought Brian into his room to sit at the table. Now he slowly explained how everything worked. The young boy was in shock. "Of course, you don't have to be with her. You did say that you wanted a girl outside the family, right?"

"Yeah. And now I know I don't want Mom to make an egg for me. I want a girl that isn't related. It would be better."

"But, any girl that gets Mother's blood becomes related. Think on that," Dionysus grinned. "Also, you are not truly related to Mother. You were only claimed. So, if an egg was made for you, then it would be fine. But, if our Emperor makes you a part of himself, I can see where that option for an egg would look like a relation. You just have to remember this. There are many that wouldn't understand us. Tell me. If you found a girl and she tried to convince you to walk away from all of this..."

"Never happen," Brian said. "I wouldn't like her anymore, if she said that."

"Also, any girl that you bring to us would need to be tested and gain a shot of Mother's blood. It keeps them from getting ill and allows you to have kids with them. Not sure how it would be with a basic human, but this is how it works that we know of."

"Oh. So, no matter what..."

"Yep! As Father said, and I always quote this, 'We are one giant, red neck, viral family'! So, you had best get used to that idea. You may be better off letting Mother make an egg for you. Or, well, you can see if we can find a good female to your liking."

"Well, anyone that calls Mom their mom, I don't think I could handle," Brian sighed. "If it's just a bit of blood that makes them different..."

"That's the spirit!" Dionysus grinned. "Ooh! You have a new racing game and didn't tell me?! Shame on you!"

"I didn't tell you, because you suck at racing," Brian grinned.

"Mother would so kick your little rear, if she caught you talking like that," he grinned back. "And I do not suck at racing games!"

"Don't tattle on me, and she won't know. And you do suck. Even Hermes was better than you," Brian teased. Now they got into a brotherly argument and started to hook up the game to prove who was better. While this was taking place, another chamber was prepared for the Japanese casino residents. The burly lead man was left in the holding cell wearing nothing but his undershirt and boxers. The beaten girl was being diagnosed in the lab. A drop of blood was collected from her, and her memories were carefully gleaned.

"Very interesting," Alex mused at what he found out.

"What's that?" Agatha asked and fed their daughter a little of the softer bits of meat. The small girl was even happy with the tendrils when they tickled her. Her shot of Agatha's blood made her instinctively know that they were a part of her new mother.

"That girl that got beaten for fucking Arata," he said in a low tone to keep Emily from overhearing. "She was ordered to entice him into the group. But, she gave in to his ideals of letting him fuck her in the bathroom. She wasn't supposed to go that far."

"So, she was used as a lure for new henchmen?" Agatha asked.

"Yep. Toshimichi is going to relay this now. And...hah! Arata wants nothing to do with her! Good. This means that we can kill her," he grinned. When Emily looked at him and rose up her hands to him, he picked her up to let her cuddle against his chest. "Hmm. She needs larger clothes. These are getting tight on her."

"Good thing we keep all the old clothes," Agatha chuckled.

"Da-da-da-da!" Emily said happily, as she patted his chest with her hands.

"We should get her to say other things," she laughed.

"Maybe. We'll work on that tomorrow," he grunted and reclined in the bed. When he watched his daughter start to crawl away, he gathered her back up. "No. Stay here."

"Da!" she whimpered.

"I think she's getting bored," Agatha smiled. Nick walked in with some plastic blocks with a base of holes for them. This got the girl's attention instantly. She needed mental stimulation like Agatha did, but the small blocks were made for her level. If she got them all in, a small melody played to make her laugh.

"Courtesy of Hypnos," Nick chuckled.

"Good. Check in on the holding chamber. And put that woman in with him. I want to see how they react. We didn't give her any blood yet. And, if Arata is fully healed, he should drop in on them, too. With an escort, of course," Alex mused.

"Of course, my Emperor," the drone nodded and headed out. The girl was placed in the holding cell in a separate bed on the opposite side of the room. Food was left out with plenty of water. The man woke up first. He bolted up and glared around with near-black eyes. His expensive haircut that had neatly layered his tapered black hair with perfection was ruined from sleep and being transported around. He swore violently when he noticed his expensive suit was missing, too. He had a very impressive build from body-building and an exclusive diet. He was simply pissed that something went horribly wrong and he had no control.

When he looked over at his girlfriend, his eyes narrowed with hatred. She was still unconscious and at his mercy. Grabbing a pillow, he moved to smother her with it, but then he paused. He now realized his surroundings. And he knew he was likely being watched. Setting the pillow down, he moved for the curtain to open it. Then his jaw dropped.

" _Yes. You are underwater,_ " Arata said when he walked in easily. A lesser drone of Nick was with him. Another of Aden was soon at his side. Then various scout drones turned visible in the chamber. " _If I knew your slut was trying to bring me in, I wouldn't have fucked her. But, I guess that's what happens, eh? Anyways, yeah. You're whole organization is fucked. You shouldn't have messed with me. My best friend had made new friends. And now I'm recruited in with them._ "

" _I want to speak to the one in charge! Now!_ " the man said in his strong tone.

" _Ah, but I don't know if he wants to speak with you. If he does speak with you, he may end up killing you and the slut you're with. Such a waste,_ " Arata sighed. " _And, eh, these guys with me aren't human. Just so you know._ "

" _What?_ " the man asked. The lesser version of Nick grew out its claws. The one of Aden grew out its sword and swiped it. The man's jaw dropped again.

" _You heard of the Blacklight Virus? I'm sure you have,_ " Arata grinned a touch savagely. " _And, I'm sure you've noticed that I'm fully healed, right? Yeah! These guys here are byproducts of the Blacklight Virus. Kinda like the kids. And there's a shitload more! They could wipe out Japan easily. It's also one of them that caught you. They can take over others and mimic them. Nah, don't worry about the slut. She's still human. For now._ "

" _And you?_ " the man asked.

" _Well, Akihiko,_ " Arata smirked. He didn't even bother with traditional honors. " _I'm still me. They just had to put a little of them in me to heal me. So, I'm stuck with them. I don't plan to leave, either. I like it here._ "

" _I'm going to get out of here! I'll report this! I'll..._ " Akihiko growled.

" _Turn yourself in if you go to the police?_ " Arata said with a small laugh. The older man did not like Arata at all. Arata clearly was a touch more handsome than he was. He also seemed to handle himself better around others. " _But, if you want to see the main one in charge..._ "

" _On a condition,_ " the lesser of Nick said in fluent Japanese. " _The girl is to remain untouched. If she dies from your hands, then you will die._ "

" _Fine,_ " the man nodded.

" _And we know you almost tried to kill her. If you did, you would be staring at your entrails as we ripped them from you,_ " the lesser of Aden said. " _We don't need cameras._ "

At how the scout drones went back to being camouflaged, Akihiko cringed. _I have no power here._ The knowledge stunned him. Arata gave a small shrug and was led out of the room. Alex had managed to convince Emily to stick to Nick for now.

"Should I go with you? The breeders are still slow to come around," Agatha smiled.

"Yes. This way he can see who you are, and that I don't care about the girl he's with," Alex smirked. She giggled, and they kissed in a heated way. "Emily's a cock block."

"You didn't know that?" she grinned wickedly.

"Bitch," he snorted and kissed her again. "Come on."

"Da?" Emily frowned.

"I'll be right back. I have some work to do. Okay? Stay with your brother. He'll play with you," Alex ordered. Now the instinct to obey him took hold. She wasn't happy, but she beamed when Nick showed her another puzzle toy with rings and wires. Alex was able to leave the room with his mate after that. Robert was just walking over, and he waved with a small chuckle. He was informed on what was going to happen, and he wanted to see Emily.

Agatha got embraced by Alex the moment they were out of the bedroom. She knew how much he needed her. She nuzzled him and whispered, "Let's fuck up the humans first. Then we'll play in another room."

"Emily may call for us. No more kids," he growled and kissed her in a rather rough way.

"You know you like her," she chuckled. "And we did put her in a separate bed when she slept deeply. We were with each other then."

"Not enough," he growled and clamped a hand on her breast. At another kiss given, he was half-tempted to ignore the current situation completely, but his drones told him that the human female woke up. She was now getting berated at by Akihiko. "Fuck..."

"Let's go," Agatha nodded. Alex grumbled about more cock blocks, and she only sighed at him before patting his butt. He looked at her with a small grin and placed an arm around her.

"You like my ass?" he asked.

"Of course. Not when you act like one, though," she smirked. The look he gave her now had her barking out laughter. Then he got more laughter from her when he pulled her close to tickle her mercilessly. He only relented when his hand moved against her swelling belly. Now he remembered that he had a bit of a time limit. On studying the plain gown she was wearing, he frowned at it. He wanted to flaunt her.

"Hmm. You should change your outfit. Put on a toga. With a lot of jewelry," he grinned. The drones were now quick to assist with that.

"Think I'm ready?" she asked in her jeweled finery. A diamond and gold brooch bound the toga at her right shoulder. A matching necklace and bracelet set with various rings sparkled on her form. Alex would have liked to see her with earrings, but the holes closed up every time. It was a waste to wear them. She would need permanent fixtures, and he didn't want that.

"Want to wear makeup?" he grinned.

"Fuck no!" she growled. "I don't need it."

"You may need some when we go out," he shrugged.

"That's fine. Not for here," she said adamantly. He sighed and she looked at him with shock. "You want me to wear some?"

"Well..." he said. She rolled her eyes and had Kim come over to help her. When he saw her with the very basics of it, he growled with possession. "Okay. You win. No makeup."

"Is it that bad?" she frowned.

"Every fucking male within one mile of you will die if they try anything!" he snarled. She smiled and pulled him close to kiss deeply.

"The same goes to every female," she murmured.

"Good," he grumbled and kissed her again. Keeping his arm around her, he led her to the holding chamber. Arata was just coming back to check on his rival when he paused in shock. He hadn't seen Agatha yet. He hadn't seen Alex yet, either. At her small nod, he only nodded back. Alex gave him a look that showed he was ready to kill.

"Come, darling. Let's see to the humans," she chuckled.

"Mine..." he muttered and kissed her hard. He gave a chilling glare at Arata before letting the drones open the holding chamber door for them. Even the young man knew that the being before him would rip him open and leave him to rot. He was escorted away to talk to Toshimichi. His friend would keep him preoccupied.

" _This is your fault, Hitomi! If you didn't fuck him, then we wouldn't be here!_ " Akihiko snarled. The girl with straight, lush black hair and rather beautiful green-brown eyes only shivered from where she sat on the bad. She even had a rather stunning and natural figure for her lineage. It was one of the reasons he found her so desirable. Then he turned and paused at the sheer beauty that Agatha held when she walked in with Alex. The girl on the bed was instantly jealous. Agatha only smiled softly and whispered to her mate. He smirked and ran a hand over her growing belly. Then he glared at Akihiko.

"Can you speak English?" Alex asked.

"I can," Akihiko nodded. "Not much. I can hear it. Talk can be weak."

"Okay. You can understand me. You know enough to talk?" he prodded.

"Yes," the man nodded back.

"Good. I'm Alex. I'm also known as Project Zeus. The Blacklight Virus," Alex grinned wickedly. Now Akihiko began to pale. Agatha pressed her mouth to her mate's ear and whispered enticingly. He gave her a husky mutter to make her giggle.

"Who...are you?" the man asked her.

"Me? Oh. I'm Agatha. You could say that I'm also Project Hera. I was supposed to be his antivirus. A secret weapon. Instead, I became his wife. All of the drones here, and other random ones you see, are from me. I am the Empress. Alex is Emperor. I do have a question for you, though. Why did you target Arata? He wouldn't be here if your little whore left him alone," Agatha smirked. When Hitomi looked over to glare, as she obviously knew some English, too, Agatha's hair wavered into the mess of tendrils they were.

" _What the fuck...?!_ " Akihiko hissed. Agatha gave a chilling grin and launched her hair at him to force him against the wall. One tendril became a lethal spike and hovered in front of his face. She was ready to kill.

"Answer my question. Now," she smirked. When the girl on the bed tried to move, another tendril wavered menacingly at her. Alex simply crossed his arms over his chest, let various tendrils caress him to show he was safe, and kept grinning wickedly. He loved it when his mate was in bitch mode!

"He was getting...in my way! He was a threat!" the man grimaced while finding the right words to say. A tendril moved to coil around an arm. When he tried to fight it off, he found his other limbs pulled taught like she was ready to rip him apart.

"How? Be more specific," she purred out. "And you. Whore. Don't move."

"Name is Hitomi!" the girl hissed. "Not whore!"

"You agreed to fuck Arata when your only job was to lure him in. You're a whore," Alex snorted. She colored and looked away. "He really isn't that much to look at. Unless this waste of meat can't keep it up..."

" _You would dare to insult my virility?!_ " Akihito gaped. At the glare Alex gave him, he grimaced. "I stay hard! All the time!"

"Not lately," Hitomi muttered softly. Now he looked at her in shock. "I have no pleasure. Not anymore. And you have others, too. It why I do what I do. You no care for me."

He swore violently and began to curse at her in Japanese, but she ignored him now. She suddenly looked up when Agatha had moved to sit next to her in the bed. She felt pity for the girl now. At how a tendril moved to gently rest over the girl's shoulders, she stiffened at first. When no harm came to her, she relaxed and shivered.

"Tell me," Agatha said softly. "When one of my children found you, you were hanging from the ceiling. You were beaten. You were abused. Was it because of what happened?"

"Yes," Hitomi nodded. At the tear that fell now, Agatha looked at her mate.

"Hmm. If she apologizes to Arata for what she did, I can see her joining us. I don't think he'll take her, though. May be best to make a good male for her. Hitomi. Once you are here, you cannot leave. Your life up above is dead. Were there any others expecting you?" Alex asked. At the shake of her head, he contacted the drone that took her blood sample _. She was telling the truth. She had no more family after a massive earthquake destroyed her home. She was away at a school when it happened._ "Did you want to join us? You'll be kept safe and given a man that would definitely know how to please you in any way possible."

"Ah..." she shivered and found herself blushing. Then she slowly nodded.

"And, if he dies, would you care?" Agatha asked when she looked at her ensnared prey.

"It is best...if I do not know..." she murmured.

"Good answer," Alex nodded. When a drone appeared, he gestured to it. "Follow my drone. You'll meet new family soon."

"Thank you," Hitomi whispered, and Agatha pulled her into a hug.

"I am sorry for calling you a whore," Agatha said gently. "Do not betray us. You will be given a shot of my blood, and it will heal you. It will also make you stronger. Go now. You will meet others like you, too."

Hitomi began to cry now from the fear and torment she went through. Agatha simply rocked her like another terrified child and gave a comforting whisper of encouragement. Then she thought, and a drone came in with a shot of blood.

"Agatha?" Alex frowned.

"I'm nearing the fast phase of my pregnancy. I want her to get a shot of blood now," she said. "In case an egg will go to her."

"Ahh. Yes. Good call," Alex nodded.

"Look away if you don't like needles," Agatha smiled. Hitomi nodded and got the shot of blood. "And I was right. Hitomi, put your hands here."

"Oh?" she blinked. Agatha winced at the pressure that happened before it faded away.

"Interesting. Did you get some of my premade sperm?" Alex asked.

"I have been receiving it with each set of breeders in case new ones like her appear. Any extra eggs become eggs for Kings or the rare Queen. It's how it seems to be now," she shrugged.

"True. Okay, Hitomi. Go with the drone, and you'll be given a room to stay in. If you need belongings, just tell the drone. We all connect to a hive link. Everything will be explained to you. And you get one chance. You fuck up, you're dead. It's the same with everyone," Alex said. Hitomi nodded and left quickly with a sensation of relief. "And as for you..."

"I could be useful!" Akihiko said. Agatha's tendrils had evolved to extend and shorten for her. She didn't know how long she could make them, but, in a confined space, she covered the room easily. Now she regarded him in full, and he said, "I have...friends. Um...business..."

"Connections?" Alex asked.

"Yes. I be missed if...um...go missing..." he said.

"Get some blood from him. Let's find out the truth," she smirked and stood up to let Alex put an arm around her waist. "Akihiko, if you are lying, your blood will tell us. If you are telling the truth, you will be monitored. We'll make a clone of you and take over your clone. A drone will take over your life as you remain here. And, if you try to betray us, or harm any of us, you will be killed. No explanations. No warning."

He gaped at this. He was actually planning to try and escape. To rally his forces and allies to hit them hard. Now he visibly paled that all of his plans were going to be exposed. Her tendrils coiled tighter around his limbs when he struggled. At how she was studying his form, Alex looked at her with a raised brow. "Are you seriously thinking of having Nick take a clone of this fucker?! Why?"

"He has a nice build," she grinned with a shrug. "And, if you are going to be Robert's Vice President, I doubt a Japanese man would work. May as well let Nick have his body."

"But he goes soft," Alex smirked.

"Not if Nick alters it," she grinned. He started laughing and watched a drone come in to lightly nick the skin of the trapped human. With the small droplet of blood consumed, Alex focused on what was learned. Now he regarded the human.

"Agatha. Kill him," Alex growled.

"No! Wait!" the man pleaded.

"Why?" she asked now when the memories were received. The entire hive link was pissed. Hermes came in now to regard the human. The man went speechless again at the sight of perfection before him.

"Mother, he's not that good-looking," Hermes said. "He obviously had some cosmetic surgery done. Look at his face! It's a train wreck!"

"I wouldn't care about his face," she grinned.

"Well, size would matter here," her son grinned back.

"Should we strip him naked?" Alex smirked.

"No!" Akihiko cringed. "Please! Give chance?"

"We could. However, if you show any anger towards anyone, you die. You have a lot of anger issues. Your blood could fix it, Agatha. But, if he goes against us, he's done," Alex said.

"I don't believe he'll be getting an egg right away, either. Hitomi is now engaged. She cannot be touched. He could become a stud male, but I wouldn't trust him with a Queen," Hermes muttered. "Even Hypnos agrees. He would have no purpose to us."

"Please...I..." the human shivered. Agatha now walked up to him, and her tendrils coiled even tighter around his limbs in warning.

"You will get one chance. You do not approach Hitomi. She will be guarded constantly now. You show equality to all here. If you fuck up, you're dead," Agatha warned. "Don't try to escape. Don't try to call for help. Each area in this base is filled with drones. They never sleep. They never eat. They always watch. The moment you get out of line, I will know. And I will personally come for you to kill you."

"Okay," Akihiko nodded with defeat.

"We will go through your contacts and pick the best ones to work with us. You are no longer a leader. You are piece of shit that I walk on. You want to know why? I'll show you my personal meat locker. We eat humans here. You are cattle," Alex grinned savagely. At the man's paling look, he laughed. "Don't worry. We won't feed you your kin. Just do what chores we give you. That's all you have to do. And we do have an excellent food supply. You won't go hungry or find yourself lacking in custom cuisine."

"We should have him work in the farm," Agatha mused.

"No..." the man shivered. Manual labor was beneath him.

"He does have good strategy techniques. Fine. Maybe he can help us with blueprints and infiltrations. We can have him talk with Bruce," Alex said. "If you prove your worth, you may be granted a wife. Just do as your told."

"Yes," he agreed. When the door opened to show Brian standing there, Alex frowned.

"What are you doing here?" Alex frowned.

"There's a lot of people screaming at him, Dad," he frowned. "They all want him dead."

"Ghosts?" Agatha asked.

"Yeah. Like...this guy's killed a lot of people. They won't shut up," he sighed.

"Here we go again," Alex grumbled. "To any of you listening in, feel free to watch and see if he fucks up. He gets one chance. If he loses it, then he's dead and at your mercy. If you want to bug him, do it. Just don't bug me or my family."

"Um, they think it's okay. But, there's one that's really pissed at him. I think it's his dad," Brian thought aloud. Now Akihiko gaped at him with complete shock. "Yeah. He killed his own dad. Something about stairs. It was a trap that he fell into, and his neck snapped. Made it seem like an accident. As to why, well, something about money and heirloom stuff."

"You know this?!" the man gaped.

"And you still don't know where it is, too. Only that it's all in that casino. Huh! Dad," Brian said and gestured to whisper. Alex cracked a grin at what he learned. _I was just given the location of where it was all hidden._ "His dad says that, um, if you can find it, it's yours. And it'll be up to you if you give any of it to his son."

"No! It is my heritage!" Akihiko argued.

"He had no time to write a will," Brian said from what he heard. "Oh! He gave me a code for his lawyer. To make everything binding, if we mention the code."

"No! I..." the former mob boss was now trembling.

"Brian is my son. If you touch him, you are already dead," Alex warned. A tentacle moved to rest on Brian's shoulders, and he laughed when another one tickled him.

"Stop it, Mom!" he grinned. Then he yelped when her tendrils dangled him harmlessly in the air upside-down to tickle him mercilessly. "No! Uncle! I give!"

"Good. Don't back-talk me," she laughed and set him down gently. He was still giggling when she pulled him close to hug him. Hermes was even sniggering slightly. When she looked at him with a thought, he gaped.

"Mother! I don't want to know if you could do that to me," he grimaced.

"Get out of line and I will," she laughed softly. "As for you, Akihiko, you will still get one chance. But, as we have warned, you are always watched. If we recover your father's lost heirlooms, we may be able to hand a few over to you. But, only if you prove yourself."

"They ancient. Priceless. He want sell. Not me," Akihiko frowned.

"Actually, he only said that he wanted to sell them to see how adamant you were in wanting to protect them," Brian shrugged. Now the man's jaw dropped in complete shock. "He was testing you. But, since you killed him with that fake accident on his stairs, you failed his test. So, he'll give you another one. Prove your worth to my family. Get a wife. He'll talk to me to let my parents know if you are worthy again. If you are, he'll rest. If not, only you dying will help him rest."

"Okay. I accept," Akihiko nodded.

"And you can't hurt anyone anymore. No matter how mad you get," Brian said. Akihiko was just in complete awe at how powerful this boy's gift was in talking to the dead. "Oh, Dad! Jeremiah tried to go into that clone. Um, he said it was okay, but something's weird with the brain. We may need to try a couple more times. Want me to tell Ragland?"

"Nope. I got a drone on it," Alex nodded. Agatha gave Akihiko a warning glare when her tendrils finally released him. Alex gave him one last glare of warning, too.  _The human had to prove himself and earn his shot of blood._ Drones were now ready to escort him to a new bedroom chamber and would ask him questions of what he wanted to have brought down. The casino would now be looked into as well.

"Get a shot of his blood when Ragland does the health check on him. I want clones made of him to start tracking down his past allies. The more we know about them, the further our influence will spread. Any that question the drones will be taken down and brought into our army. Let this be done," Agatha said aloud. "And refuse him any opportunity to see Hitomi."

"Yes, my Empress," quite a few drones said together, as they moved to do her bidding. Brian was able to head back into his room where Dionysus was waiting. Hermes didn't like Akihiko and would have drones watching him at all hours. Even as he walked with his mother, it was agreed on. Osiris was also going to have a few of his drones hang around. Anyone that could use their drones to help keep watch were already planning to do so.

"Da-da!" Emily beamed from where she was messily eating a chocolate pudding treat.

"I tried to keep her neat," Robert sighed.

"Can't be helped," Agatha smiled. "That man pleaded for his life."

"I'll fill you in, Father," Hermes said and escorted him out.

"Bath time for you," Alex chuckled and gathered up his daughter in his arms.

"No! No bath!" she said and shook her chocolate-stained, red haired curls.

"More words?" Agatha laughed softly.

"I was teaching her," Nick chuckled. "Robert was, too."

"Yes. A bath. Or I get sad," Alex said with a frown.

"No! No sad," Emily pouted. "Kay. Bath. You bath?"

"No. I don't need a bath. But, I'll help you," he said. At her excited, happy squeal at this, Agatha found herself laughing again when she was helped to recline in the bed. Her pregnancy finally hit the fast stage, and her toga was removed with her jeweled finery. She was placed back in a basic gown to work with her pregnancy. Now that her daughter was getting cleaned up, she was fed a hearty steak. The next few hours would seem to go smoothly for now.


	125. Chapter 125

Arata couldn't get Agatha out of his mind. He knew that his infatuation with her would only lead to his death.  _And she would kill me personally._ The vibe that he got from her was neutral, but that was because he didn't see her true rage.

"Arata, I know what you're thinking about," Toshimichi muttered.

"Do you?" his friend frowned. They were very strict on talking English now. When Mamoru came in, he seemed to glare at him, too.

"You are an idiot," Mamoru muttered. "And you didn't even say if you wanted a wife of your own. You didn't see our wives yet, have you?"

"Um...I don't think so..." Arata said. At this, Benzaiten dropped her camouflage from where she stood behind her husband and seemed to glare at the young man. His jaw dropped at her perfect, Oriental beauty.

"I do not like him, husband," she murmured. Toshimichi rose up from his chair to hug her and press a kiss to her mouth to calm her.

"If he tries to touch you, kill him," he growled in a very low tone to keep his friend from overhearing. That had her beaming at him with a soft blush. They made it seem like he was giving her a needy comment. Mamoru chuckled softly, but he knew what was said. Otohime was able to mentally whisper that. At a poke for her to come in, she was also gawked at.

"I am not impressed," she sniffed. Now Mamoru got up to pull her close with his own wicked grin. At the soft mutter he gave to her next, she giggled.

"How did you get wives like them?" Arata asked.

"Agatha made them for us. The eggs she made for us became what we subconsciously desired. The same could be done for you. Maybe," Toshimichi shrugged. When Tsuneo came in with Benzaiten, the stunned silence given was the same amount. Then Sakuma appeared with Amaterasu. She instantly showed her intense dislike with a small hiss.

"It does not become you to make such a sound," Sakuma soothed. "Our daughter cannot learn such manners. Can she?"

"No. I just feel something vile coming from him. He still likes Mother. That is why," Amaterasu glowered. "He must lose his interest in Mother. Then he can gain a proper wife."

"I agree," Shinatobe nodded. "He must kill such thoughts."

"Our Emperor..." Otohime paled slightly.

"Fuck! He heard us?!" Tsuneo grimaced.

"He did..." Shinatobe swallowed. "To say he is pissed off is putting it lightly."

"Arata, right now, you have to denounce your like to Agatha! Now!" Toshimichi said.

"How am I supposed to?!" Arata grimaced. "I know that she's beautiful. And I know that I'll never have a chance with her. I just...I know this. I cannot help the thoughts. But, they are only thoughts. I'm sure that none of you have the same thoughts?"

"Not since we got our wives," Sakuma muttered. "When you gain one, there is no need to think of another. Let's face it. You're fucked."

"But, if all he needs is a wife to keep him in control..." Tsuneo thought aloud. His thoughts were soon interrupted by the door slamming open to the room they were in.

"You. Fuck head. Follow me. Now," Alex snarled out.

"Go," Mamoru nodded to Arata. His friend swallowed and quickly moved to follow Alex. He followed the powerful being through the base and to Agatha's chamber. Aden stood in front of the main door to the freezer and was not impressed. Then Alex turned to face him.

"Agatha thinks there is an egg for you. All you are going to do is put your hands on her belly. After that, you leave for your room. And, do yourself a favor. Keep your fucking thoughts to yourself," he growled out. Arata swallowed and nodded. He thought Akihiko was a force to be reckoned with. He was dead wrong. Alex gave off the aura of complete death and fear.  _And it was only because he feared nothing._ He had no reason to show any form of fear unless it concerned Agatha.

When Arata saw Robin, his jaw dropped. The massive drone glared down at him with black eyes and said, "Show your respect. Or I will crush you flat."

When the hammer arms came out to show how the drone meant every word, Arata nodded frantically to show he would be respectful. Alex moved in first to pull Emily away from Agatha. When Arata came in, the small girl looked at him and frowned.

"Da?" she said.

"What?" Alex asked as he held her.

"Um...dummy head?" she asked and pointed at Arata. Agatha choked down a laugh amidst the painful pressures she was getting.

"If he touches your mother and pisses me off, he's a headless dummy head," Alex grinned wickedly and tickled her. Then he looked at Arata and gestured for him to place his hands on her belly. Arata moved over to her now, and she pointed where to press.

"Okay," she winced when the pressure finally faded. "You're done now. When your wife is ready, she will find you. Go back to your room, please."

"Of course," Arata said. At the glare Alex gave, he was quick to leave. When he walked out of the freezer part, Nick was waiting to talk to him.

"Remember. You have one chance. You almost blew it," the drone said. "Hopefully you'll live long enough for this egg to form properly. I would just stick to your room and hang out with your friends. Don't talk about my Empress. If you can do those few things, you may live. If you need to preoccupy yourself, we can send you some puzzles and small games to do to pass the time. Maybe that will help you out."

"I think that may work best," Arata agreed. Nick nodded and said that some puzzles would be sent to his room shortly. While Arata waited for a future wife, Akihiko was now going over some intense blueprints with Bruce.

"What for?" Akihiko asked. "Why check these?"

"Well, Alex is thinkin' of runnin' for the Presidency. To have the United States vote him on. As much as it isn't needed, he thinks it would be good to fuck over everyone that fucked him and us over in the end. We really have no say so, but, eh, I reckon it would be fun," Bruce grinned. "As for the blueprints, we think it may be good to get into some various places to ensure there's no threat to us. It's just somethin' to do."

"But...why? Why do this?"

"Why do you do what you like to do?" Bruce countered. The Japanese thug sighed. "Now you know why. And, if you say no, you're just dead. My military set me up. They expected me to die. Of course, I was kinda set up by these guys, but I have it good here. I have a wife, I have daughters that I don't have to look after for the entire lives, and I get to live. I don't even have to worry about everyday bullshit anymore. Why wreck a good thing?"

"No like travel?"

"No need to. If I want somethin' from Spain, it's sent to me as food or an artifact. Sure, things may change if Alex gains a strong foothold. But, for now, I'm content to be here," Bruce chuckled. "Anyways, you said you spotted a way in to the Pentagon?"

"Ah, yes. Look," Akihiko said and pointed at the blueprint sketch that was sent to them. After a bit more study, Bruce pulled a laptop screen over to contact Hypnos. Akihiko stared in disbelief at the figure that looked back at him through a camera.

"You contacted me?" Hypnos asked in his impossibly deep tone.

"Yep! I'm goin' to send you a file," Bruce said. Hypnos nodded and now took an intense study to it when he got it.

"Interesting. Very interesting," Hypnos mused. "I'll send a few drones in to see if it is true. We may be able to start infiltrating the Pentagon shortly."

"Do I have to know?" Bruce asked with a grin.

"Well, considering that most of the drones being sent will be from Leto and Eros, you may want to know. Eros decided to take on anything you bring up in a personal way to please Leto," Hypnos grinned. "She hinted it to him."

"If my grandkids can do it, let them!" he grinned even more.

"Leto is pleased. She will have more drones assist," Hypnos nodded. "And you. Akihiko. Where do you stand? I am a King. One of them, that is. I help make more drones, but my mate is a Queen to show that she can make breeders. You have everyone quite concerned."

"Um..." Akihiko paused.

" _If you want to speak Japanese, you can,_ " Hypnos chuckled.

" _Thank you. It is hard to speak English for so long,_ " he winced.

" _It is fine. When you gain a sample of Mother's blood, it will be as easy as speaking your native tongue. Now, I do understand that you have to prove yourself. Tell me. Why did you kill your own father? Such a thing shows dishonor to me,_ " Hypnos said with a small frown. Bruce understood everything and simply leaned back in his chair to let them talk.

" _He threatened to sell ancient family artifacts. That is why. And he was talking to his lawyers about it. He had promised me that he would pass them down to me to protect them._ "

" _When did he change his mind on this?_ "

" _It was when I...when..._ " Akihiko blinked.  _It was when I decided to start being unruly and fought against my father's wishes. That was when I was deemed unworthy._  " _I am...such a fool...and I can't believe..._ "

" _Hmm?_ " Hypnos asked.

" _The fault was mine. My Father was innocent. I do not deserve to live,_ " Akihiko swallowed. " _I grew tired of his strict rules. I wanted to be my own person. To live my own life. Yes, I had duties at the casino. My Father was a partial owner. It was how it came to me. My status in the casino, that is. The other owner was his business partner. Now that I think back on it, he was the one that taught me what to do in order to defy my Father. He was actually...pleased when I confessed to him that I killed him..._ "

" _So, this one knows the truth about you. Hmm. It appears that we will need to pay this one a visit. Tell me. What did he think when he learned that you were going to be the new partner? Did he...show support?_ "

" _He told me to leave everything to him, actually. I even...signed a document. I didn't read it, either,_ " Akihiko winced. " _I think...my ancestral heritage is now at stake._ "

" _Don't worry. Our drones already removed all of it. Mainly papers on various lands with a few heirloom gems. They shall be on a submarine shortly. It's a shame that you never checked above the chandelier fixture in the main bedroom,_ " Hypnos grinned. Akihiko's jaw dropped.  _My father was crafty. I thought it was in a vault!_  " _This means that, technically, you were guarding over them. You hardly left your chamber. None could do anything with you in the room._ "

" _I...see now..._ " he said. Then, for the first time since his father stared blankly at the end of the stairs at the ceiling from where he died, a touch of intense shame hit. He did feel shame when he saw his father's broken body, but he didn't cry. He felt that it was all deserved. Akihiko finally broke down into tears.

Hypnos waited patiently for the human to vent his pent up grief. After he had calmed down, Hypnos calmly said, " _Would you like us to look into this for you? We can have a drone disguised as you. We can approach this partner. We will know if we are being baited or manipulated. If it happens, he will die. Then we will take all necessary actions to take over the casino. Will you return to it? No. But, we will give you any information regarding it. We will simply keep it as a running business for our profits._ "

" _I would much rather see us using it instead of the sack of shit!_ " Akihiko fumed. " _I want all of the funds he stole from me and Father!_ "

" _It shall be done. Give us a couple hours,_ " Hypnos grinned wickedly.

" _That fast?_ " he mused.

" _We have so many of us out there that we could be our own country now. We will have this resolved shortly. Just sit back and relax. Keep going over the blueprints. The moment we know more, you shall be informed._ "

" _What will happen to those that wished to see me? I mean...well...you know what I was,_ " he sighed. " _I may be looked for._ "

" _We will have drones that take your appearance. We did take blood from you, so that will be fine. Any that try to show any tension towards you will be neatly removed. Worry not about that. You are safe where you are. Just do what we ask you to do, and you will be fine,_ " Hypnos reassured him. Akihiko nodded and sighed to himself.

" _I should apologize to Hitomi,_ " he said.

" _No. You are not allowed near her. She is betrothed to a future husband now. We shall relay your apology for you after she is with her husband. If you go near her, you secure your death. Stay where you are,_ " Hypnos warned. Akihiko paused at this and found himself nodding. Bruce was studying him silently and cleared his throat to talk.

"You look pretty drained now. A drone can show you to a room. You need to rest. Get some good sleep. If you need to eat, tell them what you like. They can get it for you," Bruce nodded. "You're doin' good so far."

"Thanks," he smiled and stood up. As he was being escorted to a room, Hitomi was rocking herself in her new room. She was very scared now. She didn't know what was going to happen. She had no idea what to think. At a knock on her door, she jolted and coughed before moving to answer it. She could only stare at Amaterasu's warm, beautiful smile.

" _Hello, sister. You are distressed?_ " the breeder female asked gently. " _Would you like to talk to me? I'm sure others could, but I may be able to help you feel better._ "

" _What is...my purpose...?_ " Hitomi whispered and trembled. Amaterasu moved to carefully close the door and hug her tight as she cried.

" _That's right. Let it out. None shall harm you now. You have been given a very special purpose. To help breed daughters to assist with our cause. You will gain a husband that will, practically, worship the ground you walk on. And he will kill any that dare to harm you. He will come to you in just a few hours more. Mother gave birth some time ago. Oh. I was just told to tell you that Akihiko feels badly for how he treated you for so long. He finally realized something that has humbled him. But, we refuse to let him see you._ "

" _Maybe I should see him. To slap him!_ " she whispered bitterly.

" _As much as I'm sure we would all love to see that,_ " Amaterasu giggled softly. " _it would be best to let your new husband deal with him. Should it come to that._ "

" _How am I supposed to accept another into my life? I thought that Akihiko was the one for me. That he was my equal. Instead...he began to see me as just a trophy._ "

" _Yes. We were able to see his memories. With one drop of blood, it is all we need. It was the same with you. With all that come to us. But, it makes no sense that you were not allowed to have friends. That saddens me._ "

" _I was always with him. I had no chance to have such a luxury. At first, it was fine. But...after a while, he began to ignore me. He left me in his rooms. When I caught lipstick on his collar, he said he caught a girl before she fell off a stage. Then I saw lipstick somewhere else. And that was under his clothes,_ " she cringed with the memory. " _That was when I knew that I had to get away from him. But..._ "

" _You were chained to him. Like he owned you,_ " Amaterasu said sadly. Hitomi shed more tears after that, and her back got rubbed. " _Well, no more of that. We are your family now. You have brothers and sisters. My Father can even see you as his daughter, too._ "

" _Your father? The one I met?_ "

" _No. He is our Emperor. I shall have you meet my Father. Ah! He is on his way here. You will need to speak English, though. He can understand Japanese, but he likes English better,_ " she smiled. Hitomi nodded. At the knock on the door, Robert was let in with a small wave. He hugged his daughter and nodded respectfully to Hitomi. That caught her by surprise. None have ever shown respect to her before.

"Did I do something wrong?" he frowned.

"No. She didn't expect that," Amaterasu smiled. "Hitomi, this is my Father."

"Hello. My name is Robert Harrison. I used to be a Commander for the United States army. Ah, if you like, I can explain how things work here. I've been here since the very beginning," Robert started. Then another knock happened, and he answered it to find Dionysus there with a grin. He slammed the door shut on him. "No. We are not letting him in."

"But, Father! I can help!" Dionysus shouted through the door.

"Not listening! Go lose to another game," Robert smirked. "And don't pout! You're not supposed to act your age! Because, if you did, I'd be spanking you."

"Um..." Hitomi shivered with a small blush.

"This is normal," Amaterasu said with a small grin of her own. Now Hitomi looked at her with surprise. "You will understand in time."

"Father, it's Hermes. Can I come in?" he asked.

"No! Go play with Dionysus!" Robert snapped. "Geez! I try to have a simple talk with her, and you two just  _have_  to show up? What the hell did I do to deserve this?!"

"You had sex with Mother?" Dionysus managed to say through the door.

"I'm the asshole! Not you!" Hermes scowled.

"For fuck's sake!" Robert rolled his eyes, opened the door and dragged them both in to close it. "Both of you! Sit down and shut the fuck up! You are both impossible!"

"I can let Dana know," Amaterasu snickered.

"No!" Hermes begged. At the next knock on the door, he groaned. Dana walked in with her arms over her chest. "I just want to help with the conversation! It's what I do."

"I know. I'm just here to make sure you don't pick a fight. Because, if you do, I will humiliate your ass like never before," she grinned. "You had it coming."

"Thanks," Robert chuckled.

"No problem! By the way, I'm Dana. Hermes's wife. Alex is my brother, and you'll learn all about me in a bit. Oh, if Hermes gets on your nerves, just let me know. I know what makes him hurt. And Athena is the wife of Dionysus. She's also his sister," she shrugged. Now Hitomi did a double glance at her.

"Let me explain," Robert said. "And the two of you can shut up."

"But..." Dionysus started until Athena was let in by Amaterasu. He pouted when his mate walked over to him to gently put her hands on his shoulders.

"If you interrupt him even once," Athena said happily. "I will pinch your shoulders."

"I  _hate_  it when you do that!" he grumbled.

"Why do you think I'll do it?" she beamed. Now that Dionysus was pouting and Hermes was neatly shut up, Robert began to calmly explain to Hitomi how everything worked.

In the lab was a complete different scenario. George and Hedeyasu were looking over the new alien DNA. It was completely fascinating to them.

"These cells are unlike anything I've ever seen!" George muttered.

"Two nuclei here. Looks like they all have that. Twice as many centrioles. The mitochondria are even tripled all throughout the cell, too. It's like...each cell can be its own separate brain! I have never seen anything like this," Hedeyasu mused.

"Look at how thick the membrane structure is. And look. The cells can multiply with no nutrients. This slide was brought out of nitrogen just ten minutes ago. Wait...if they are multiplying..." George blinked. "Is something...growing...?"

"Um..." Hedeyasu blinked at what he was seeing. Nick was soon in the lab to look over the slides. Then he took the current slide to put it into a blank egg with the help of a syringe.

"As much as we shouldn't, we shall see what develops. This egg will be quarantined and monitored at all times. Put the rest of the cells back in the freezer with the others. Do not test on any other samples, save for what is being grown in the egg," the drone ordered.

"And, if it doesn't grow?" George asked.

"Then we leave the rest where it is until we can better access it. We need to focus on this campaign. After it is seen to, we shall resume research on this. We may have better technical gear available with the right orders given. Right now, we need to focus on hot spots for military action. We may need more protein capsules and strength boosters. We may also need the Hunters for distractions. You can both monitor the egg, but only as a secondary option. That is, unless something of interest shows up. Agreed?" Nick asked.

"I can go with that," George nodded. Hedeyasu also agreed, and several drones moved the egg into another chamber for lockdown and monitoring. Alex was lying back in the bed with his daughter happily putting together another set of blocks. He was able to have Apollo watch over her, as he was with Agatha to get more drones going. He was a touch perplexed over the new DNA samples in the lab.

"What's on your mind?" Agatha asked.

"Did you hear what was going on in the lab?" he asked.

"Hmm. Oh. That's disturbing," she frowned. "We should kill it and abandon the whole thing. If that shit grows and gets out of control..."

"True. Hmm. We can possibly freeze that egg for now. The shit started to grow right after it was thawed. The same thing may happen."

"Do it. We did do a freeze test on an egg, too. They can freeze and thaw out perfectly fine. We can't afford to have distractions right now. And, if George pouts over it, I will have his mate slap him for me!" she growled. She still had a mild grudge over him from what he did to Emily. It was completely understood.

"Nick relayed the message. It's fine. When this campaign bullshit is over, we'll look into this again. You are right about this, too. We have to stick with this first. Okay. Osiris was able to put in Robert's candidacy information. He will need to be at a formal press conference. Apollo will have one of his drones take a clone of Robert to move out there. The Kings will have random drones from them to guard it and appear as random Feds. When it's time for you to make an appearance, we'll leave here to do just that. I'd have Dana and Hermes with us, but she's pregnant again. Almost two days along. Too many questions will happen from how fast the pregnancies are. So, she can stay down here. Maybe until after her next kid grows up. Hermes will need to keep himself from messing with her."

"I'll wish him luck," she smirked.

"Dad!" Emily beamed at the completed blocks.

"Very good! Now you need a nap," he said. At her look of hurt, he gave her a small look back. She shook her head and pouted. "You are becoming a little grumpy missy."

"Not grumpy! Dad grumpy!" she frowned.

"I'm only grumpy, because you make me grumpy," he said.

"But..." she pouted again.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Um...three..." she said.

"That's right. You're almost four. Are you a big girl now? Or a little girl?"

"Little!" she said with a toothy grin. Agatha started laughing softly when Alex began to tickle her mercilessly. Now that she was tired out from all the laughing and screaming, she easily fell asleep with a small smile on her face.

"You know that, if anyone tries to fucking touch her, they're dead," he said.

"So, are you saying you would want another daughter?" Agatha grinned at him.

"Shut up. Bitch," Alex muttered. And, to piss her off and get even with her, he took the first bite of the Hunter steak that reached her.


	126. Chapter 126

With all of this happening at the main underwater base, the drones in the Japan casino were looking over the security cameras. Various staff members were neatly consumed to do this, and they discovered where the older man that now owned most of the casino was. As well as uncovered any new plans. Hypnos had sent one of his drones to scout for him. Since he was based in the underwater Japan base, he decided to do something risky. If it pulled off neatly, then all would be well. If it turned foul, well, another human death was nothing to him.  _Humans were easy to kill off._

He had carefully gone over everything with Alex in a mental conversation. Alex was a touch perplexed.  _:You know your mother will skin you alive if you're caught.:_

_:I know, my Emperor. But, I feel that I can reach a form of alliance with this one. He is crafty and sneaky. I could coerce him into helping us. If he declines, he dies, anyways. No loss, right?:_ Hypnos chuckled mentally. Alex seemed to sigh and gave the go ahead to do what he wanted. Now Hypnos began to plot.  _As long as we aren't caught, then he won't care. What I want to do is bring the offending human to my base. Sedated, of course, but to show that he was now always being watched._ He felt that it was needed.

The base he lived in now reflected a classic steampunk style setting. Each King had now decorated how each base was to suit their tastes. Of course, the one that Agatha was in was kept neat and tidy, since it was the main base, yet it also had a touch of increased wealth due to her Empress status. Cronus had begun to give his base a touch of a dark, Gothic feel in various areas. Even Oceanus started to decorate it in a form of calm, feng shui serenity to suit his quiet atmosphere. Coeus had chosen a more operatic touch with finery, decorations, and various touches of art.

Hypnos had a massive studio room that was dedicated to the various projects his drones ran for him. A few of the breeders were there from Karl to help keep the stud male calm. It was much like Robert needing his kids there, too. When Hypnos looked over at a few drones, they nodded and prepared a small chamber much like the confinement cell on the main base. However, it was going to be set up like a dining room. He already had an idea of a way to approach him.

"Are you sure about this?" Eir frowned when she walked up to him.

"It is not often that I should do such a thing," Hypnos shrugged. "I simply feel that it must be done. If he dies, we shall collect his blood and have a clone made. It will be perfectly fine. Why? Do you feel something different?"

"You could say that," she sighed and rested her arms around his neck. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. When she pushed his glasses up his nose, he chuckled. "I am very happy that you like my style of design."

"Did I have a choice?" he cracked a grin and laughed at the poke to his side. "Don't worry. It's fine. It does grow on me. Maybe I should have a walking stick made that could also be a gun. And a sword, too. Of course, I'll still have my natural one, but it could throw off any that think otherwise. What do you think?"

"Do it," she grinned, and they kissed deeply.

"You aren't pregnant right now?" he muttered and kissed her in a hungry way.

"No..." she whispered and gasped when he lifted her into his arms.

"Let's fix that," he grinned wickedly and carried her to their lavishly done bedchamber. Back at the main base, Hitomi was rocking herself in her bedroom. She was still scared and very troubled. At a knock on the door, she was able to answer it to gape in shock.

The breeder male had long, straight black hair, and his father's steel grey eyes. Like all Japanese men, his form was slender, lithe, but rather muscled in ways to show that he could fight. His bangs seemed to part from his forehead, as he regarded her with a slender jawline. His body was far more perfect than she could ever imagine. Not even Akihiko could come to par. This male was even much taller than him by a good half foot, too. Only Hermes was taller than him. The black pants he wore with the half-opened shirt only accentuated his physique.

"Hitomi," he said softly in a rather stern, yet caring voice. "I am Raijin."

"You...picked the name of a god...that does thunder and lightning?" she frowned.

"It only shows that I will be quick to strike any that try to hurt you. And, I'll even make a thunderous sound when my fist beats their heads into the ground," he grinned. At her small smile, he noticed her start to tremble. He moved quickly to gather her up in his arms and hold her tight. "No others will touch you. I won't let them."

"I belong to you?" she whispered.

"As an equal. Not as a toy," he muttered. That got her to cry with relief when he kissed her. Their bond was fully cemented. In another room, a bit of a small commotion was happening. Claudia's brother had finally arrived in a gift-wrapped bit of binding. It took them quite a while to get him, because they had to act out a charade. Claudia was known to play hard-to-get with him. She didn't want to really see him.

He was able to convince the drone he spoke with to meet up. When he finally appeared at the hotel room the drone bearing her form was in, he went into a usual routine to try and touch what he could right away. The drone then suggested to have lunch first before proceeding. That a full belly would make the future advances that much better. As much as the brother would be surprised at the acceptance, he agreed. The food, however, was drugged, and it was easy to bind the revolting human down for transport.

"Same plan as before? With the Hunter?" Sobek asked.

"Yep," Dionysus nodded. "We already gathered some blood. Cameras working?"

"They are," Hermanubis grinned. Hypnos had managed to do a 3-D hologram projection to keep Claudia from actually appearing in the room. Sobek could barely tell that it wasn't her. That was a good sign. Claudia would then speak through a microphone from the safety of her room. Then Sobek would approach her to have his 3-D image project with her. The video camera projecting the image was hooked up in their room. Everything that the brother saw would be false. And the entire hive would witness it.

In the room, instead, was a Hunter. The room was soundproof, so none could hear the roars it gave off. The window was simply a panel projection for the 3-D images to land on. The effect was perfect. Instead of the confining room, he was brought around in another meeting room. No food was in here. No drinks were in here, either. He was going to die. Why waste resources on him?

" _My head..._ " he muttered in German when he came around. " _I was eating with her. Then I fell asleep. I wake up here? What happened?_ "

" _Darling? You're awake?_ " he heard Sobek ask in German through the speakers. The projection image was already in effect to show the 'window' he was supposed to look through.

" _Yes. You know I cannot sleep. How is our daughter?_ " she smiled and got kissed. Her brother was just in shock at the man she was with.  _And a daughter?! Did she get married?_

" _Weth is just fine,_ " Sobek smiled warmly. She was named after a Norse goddess, as they agreed for most of the new Queens born. " _Two days old and as beautiful as her mother._ "

" _Oh, hush!_ " she blushed and got kissed softly.

" _Tell me. What do you think of your brother? Did you visit him? Did it go well?_ " he asked. Now her brother paused at this. He didn't question how he could hear them. He was in too much shock at what he was learning.

" _I don't want to see him again. He tried to...touch me...again..._ " she shivered. " _He even vowed that he wouldn't! That he was different! I...well...he may still be there. I did...drug his food. Like you warned me to. I ran when he fell asleep. I don't know where he is now._ "

" _I'm hunting him down. No matter where he is,_ " Sobek said in a dark, cold tone. Even though it wasn't truly her that her brother met with, the charade was perfectly done. She just nodded and watched him leave the room. He actually only left the projection area.

" _Oh, fuck..._ " the human seemed to whimper. He had no muscle to defend himself with. He had no fighting skills. He only preyed on her, since he was used to it. It was fun to feel someone weaker than him give in to his whims. He never did this with another. Now he finally glanced around the chamber and saw the door along the side.

It was the only door in the room, oddly enough, and he could only pray that it didn't lead into the bedroom he just saw. He ran to it and was shocked that it was unlocked. When he ran in, the door slammed and locked behind him. The room was pitch black. Then the lights slowly faded on to show the Hunter at the far back of the room. His lower lip trembled with fright at the roar that it gave out before leaping at him. The ending result was quick. And very satisfying.

"He's dead now," Sobek whispered, as he rocked her. She shivered and let him comfort her. A small plate of chocolate bites with various centers was delivered to help ease her mind.

"That fucker got what he deserved," Agatha growled from what she saw in her bedroom from the live video feeds. Of course, the sound was lowered considerably.

"I think we'll leave that little trap there," Alex grinned. His daughter was sleeping deeply between them. At four days old, her natural beauty was clearly apparent now. She even had a light hint of freckles over her cheeks that gave a touch of cuteness to her blushes. She was even gaining a rather deep set of dimples. Alex would easily draw and quarter anyone that tried to touch her. At the feel of a knock on the door from Robin, he gave the mental command to enter, but to remain silent.

"I like what happened," Robert grinned when he walked in.

"So do I," Agatha chuckled.

"Yes, we are leaving it there as a permanent punishment chamber," Alex smirked.

"Good. Anyways, a clone was made of me, and a drone took it over. That drone will go to all of my press conferences. Would it just be easier for me to remain here and let drones do everything until we have to go up there?" he asked.

"That's not a bad idea. I know I wanted to head up there, but now we need to find out exactly when it would be good to do such a thing. There are so many changes going on now. What's going on with the Japanese casino?" Alex asked. "Was Hypnos handling it?"

"He is. He lives in the Japan base. And are you really letting him do something?" Agatha asked. "From what I can tell, it's very risky."

"Yeah. He wants to bring that head fuck into his base. To talk to him there," Alex shrugged. She seemed to growl at that, but Hypnos contacted her to stress how much fun it would be for him.  _And he would be able to test a few experiments._ Now she mused and allowed it, but only if the hive link watched the results.

"What do we know about the Hunters and that alien DNA? Ragland last said that they gained a hive link?" Robert frowned. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"We had to kill them off. They were getting too smart for their own good," Alex snorted. "They began to figure out how to open locks. And the locks were electronic password based. Our drones killed off the four that were there."

"A shame. It would have been nice to let them loose on the public, but we can't have them becoming too smart, can we?" she sighed. "Any news on the Pentagon?"

"Drones have already infiltrated it. Same with the Kremlin in Russia, the Louvre in France, and a couple other places across the world," Alex chuckled. "More to follow, of course."

"Why the Louvre?" she asked.

"Because that place houses priceless art. It also houses other secrets," he said.

"Like what?" Robert asked.

"Treasures that the world thought was missing," he grinned. "We find those treasures and bring them back to their respectful places. The world starts to question what we're all about. How can they label us as true terrorists, if we're globally fixing it?"

"Interesting," Robert mused. "Anyways, the first election is based in Connecticut. I'm sure my kids will nominate me in to represent whatever faction we decide to go with. Personally, I say we side with a Democratic party first. They tend to pull stuff in the background with lies, bribes, and a lot of false promises that can never be met. And, later on if we want, we can change to Republican to show we mean well. Sure, we'll lie like before, but who doesn't these days? I mean, we all know the majority of voters are uneducated sheep that will only vote for the party who tells the best lies and has the best shit-eating smile. And, as for independent candidates, well, we all know independent candidates can't win shit against uneducated sheep.

"Since the government was going to let me go, it could be pulled off. That and Osiris can easily pull strings and set up the paperwork. No matter what, we'll win the election. Anyways, after I get elected, or the drone of me does, it will travel around to the other states in a clockwork formation depending on where the elections are held."

"Fine. We'll have drones all over. Osiris already set up some informational paperwork in the file systems. All of the drones and breeders are legit. Breeders don't look alike, anyways, so false names were given to them easily," Alex shrugged.

"Wasn't there an issue where one of the breeder pairs got pulled over by a cop? For false speeding charges?" Agatha smirked. "I think that happened."

"It did. In, ah, Utah. Near Salt Lake City. Last week, actually. The couple was driving the normal limit for the road, and a cop pulled them over saying they were driving ten miles over the limit. They both vouched innocence. The cop, being a cop, gave them a ticket, anyways. The next day, drones infiltrated the home of the officer, found out he had a family, and left him alone. Only reason why he's still alive today. But, the claims lawyer that was completely rude to them was taken over later that night. No family and no friends. Gotta love it," Alex grinned.

"And the action being taken now?" Robert asked.

"The drone completely changed the lawyer's actions and is actually giving the people a chance to win. The court system doesn't like that at all. They want their money. So, they fired the drone. And our other waiting drones took over any that were able to be taken over. It was very neatly done. And now we have our foot in the door of the legal system," he grinned a touch more in a wicked way. Agatha laughed softly.

"Not bad," Robert chuckled. "Anyways, I'll head back to my room to study up on some fake speeches for the press conferences and local media to eat up. The drone acting as me was from Apollo's brood, so it can hear me. I'm also not sure if I still have a few enemies out there."

"If you do, I'm sure they'll be very happy to see your face in public again," Alex smirked. Robert flipped him off to get the same thing done in return before leaving the room.

"Is that how you say hello and goodbye?" Agatha grinned softly.

"It shows we tolerate each other. It's the most we'll ever get on that level," he said.

"Not a more equal level?"

"Why?"

"Well...he's doing this for us..."

"Hera, if he wins this election for us... _maybe_...I'll respect him a little more. But not by much. Okay? Will that work?" he asked. At her mild glare, he sighed. "How about, I punch him in the face and say that it felt good?"

"Or I have you rape me for a solid day straight. Actually, we haven't tried that yet..." she mused. At his look of complete interest, she started to laugh. "You treat Robert with a lot more equality, and I'll see about making that arrangement for you."

"You're a bitch," he muttered at her laugh. "You do have me wondering if it's possible. Hmm. You don't get pregnant until I pull out, either..."

"I don't think you'll have anything left," she chuckled.

"One way to find out," he grinned. At Emily's yawn and slow blink of her eyes awake, she turned and snuggled into him. "Cock block..."

"Dad?" she frowned. At the poke he gave to her side to make her laugh, he sat up slightly to let her rest against him. Another sleepy yawn was given with a tired mumble. "I hungee, Dad. Um..."

"You can eat with your mother, okay?" he smiled softly. She beamed at him and moved to cuddle into Agatha's side. "You'll get a bath after you eat."

"Bath?!" she pouted.

"You're stinky," he teased her lightly with a small grin.

"No! You stinky!" she said. Then she squealed when he grabbed her to tickle her.

"Who wins?" he asked.

"Dad win! Dad win!" she shouted at the merciless tickling.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Ya! Dad win!" she panted when he let her go. "But Dad still stinky!"

"What?!" he said with a mocking growl to grab her and tickle her again. Agatha was laughing with complete amusement at everything. Now that the food began to arrive, even more was unfolding in another room. Arata was absorbed in the small puzzle he was given. Then he blinked at the soft knock on his door. At the sight of a blond Japanese female with large, pastel blue eyes, his jaw dropped. Her face was complete perfection in a slender, circular way. Her hair was curled in a natural way, as she beamed at him with her delicate mouth. Her figure was quite slender, though, but there was plenty there to show that she was definitely female under the deep green kimono. At his look of silent amazement, she blushed softly.

"Hello, Arata. I am Kisshoten," she said in her soft, dulcet tone.

"Um...hello..." he said. At her soft giggle, he pulled her into his room to quickly cement the bond that she was ready to give to him.


	127. Chapter 127

The elderly man in the massive, expensive suit expected nothing different from any other night in his casino penthouse suite. He had just done a bit of his own gambling and even made a bit of profit, much to his delight. He had even invited up a few of the local girls that frequented the place. Even though he could be their grandfather, money talked to them. They wouldn't care if he was on his deathbed. He'd still get laid and die a happy death.

He neatened out his thick head of gray hair and applied some of the facial cream that kept back fine lines and wrinkles. A couple drops of eye redness remover were applied next to his dark brown eyes. He didn't work out very much anymore, but he always ensured he had a fit physique. At the knock on the door, he moved to answer it. At the sight of a serving maid there, he was confused. He was expecting at least three sluts.

" _What is the problem?_ " he asked. The serving girl was actually one of Hypnos's drones.

" _I was asked to deliver a message,_ " the drone said, handed the message over on a silver platter and bowed respectfully. He frowned and took the message. When the drone left, he closed the door and opened the note. On it was a phone number. He seemed to pause at this. He didn't recognize this number at all, but he went to his phone to call the number. Hypnos grinned from where he was in his base just off the Japanese shoreline and answered the call.

" _Hello,_ " Hypnos said calmly. " _And this is my natural tone._ "

" _Oh! Well...who is this? I received this number to call..._ " the man said.

" _I have a business proposition for you. It would be...beneficial. If you are interested, I can have a man ready to receive you within the hour. I cannot get into it right now. Such a thing would be foolhardy. I'm sure you know how it is. I would need to meet you in person._ "

" _I do not see why I should work with you._ "

" _Oh. Then I suppose I shall continue to work with Akihiko..._ "

" _What?! NO! I mean...ah...I can work with you. There is no need to bring him back into this. Whatever you were doing with him, I can handle._ "

" _Interesting. Just a moment ago...you felt that you could not work with me. Do you have something against him?_ " Hypnos baited calmly. " _I found him to have an excellent business head on his shoulders. After this, I may prefer to continue to go through him._ "

" _Where is your man? I will meet with him right now!_ " he said adamantly. At this, Hypnos laughed softly. " _I have no plans._ "

" _Really? I would have thought that, a prestigious man like yourself, would always be expecting someone. Or even a few people..._ " Hypnos now let his smirk go through. Now the older man paused. He realized that Hypnos knew that he was expecting the girls. " _Yes. I know everything. I know more than you think I know. So, you have a choice. And, yes, I know your name. Hachiro Kowahara. As for me giving you my name...I shall wait until we meet._ "

" _How...do you...?_ " he breathed with a form of disbelief.

" _Meet with my man within the hour. Another message will be sent to you shortly. And, after that, you will know all. Until then..._ " Hypnos chuckled and hung up on him. Hachiro found himself completely shaken. He didn't know why. That deep, calm voice actually invoked an intense fear in him. Going to his desk drawer, he pulled out a gun to carry in his coat pocket. Now that he had his false sense of security, he answered the next knock at his door. A slip of paper was there with hand-written instructions of where to go.

As he went into one elevator, he would never know that the group of girls he was to meet with had just appeared from the elevator next to him as his doors closed. Hypnos had timed that perfectly to set the girls up with disappointment.  _It served them right, anyways._  When Hachiro walked out to the lobby, he saw a drone in a suit waiting for him with a small nod given. It was actually Hypnos's drone without a disguise. His black hair was inherited with Eir's soft facial features, but the drone was toned up to show that it was a lesser version of Eddie. Dark glasses were over its eyes to hide them. Solid black eyes would have shown confusion.

" _Hello, Sir. This way,_ " the drone said in a monotone voice. Hachiro was led to one of the sleekest limousines he had ever seen. This had him a touch perplexed.  _This strange man was exceptionally wealthy._  He even saw rare bottles of French champagne and Russian bottles of Vodka lining the ice bins. " _Feel free to treat yourself to whatever you wish._ "

" _Is that so?_ " Hachiro mused to himself. Unknown to him, each bottle was laced with a potent sleeping drug. Even the bottles of water and small cans of soda weren't safe. But, he wouldn't know that. The moment he put a champagne flute up to his lips, he found himself feeling tipsy. " _Strong stuff...hmm..._ "

He couldn't even finish the thought, and his eyes shut the moment another drone uncloaked to catch the glass before it slipped from his hands. He was carefully laid out to be prepared for a stretcher. Now he was transported safely to the waiting submarine and to the base shortly after. They even left his gun on him.

When he woke up in an unfamiliar room less than an hour later, he was in shock. At the drone that walked up to him, he was bowed to. " _Hello, Sir. I apologize for how you brought in. It was all for safety measures. My boss will meet with you now. Please follow me._ "

" _Where am I?!_ " he demanded to know. At this, the drone moved to a wall curtain and pulled the cord to expose the ocean depths.

" _Not on land,_ " drone said with a small shrug. A large shark even swam by to prove what was said. The man was stunned. " _You were brought here by submarine. Come. You shall be returned after the meeting._ "

" _Hopefully without being drugged,_ " he growled. As he was led through the base, he was in awe of the strange technical and mechanical look to the place. He had no idea what steampunk was at all. Everything looked dark, but it was in a medieval sense with steel. He was led to a small dining room that was set with a crystal chandelier, rich, red wallpapers, and elegant teak wood furnishings. Hypnos was enjoying a meal of grilled elk with his mate at a central table. It was the same place that he had created to meet him in from the start. He looked up and nodded.

" _Hello. We spoke over the phone. Please, have a seat. You will be served whatever you wish. This is my wife, Eir. My name is Hypnos. Sorry for the drugging. It is standard procedure for me,_ " Hypnos said in his impossibly deep tone. Hachiro was gaping at Eir's intense beauty. She merely nodded to him and whispered softly to her mate. He chuckled and kissed her gently before serving her another slice of elk. " _And please stop staring at my wife. If you think I'm dangerous, you don't want to get in her way._ "

" _Oh, do not brag about me!_ " she giggled. Like her grandmother, she was able to form her tentacled hair to defend herself with. " _Did you want me to leave?_ "

" _No. Stay here,_ " he chuckled and squeezed her hand warmly. When he focused his eyes on the human, he gave a small smile. Even through the mild dazzling sensation of the glasses, the man felt intense fear and challenge. " _Come and sit with us. And, please. Don't draw your weapon. I let you keep it just to spite you._ "

" _You knew I was armed?!_ " Hachiro gaped.

" _Of course, I knew! How could I not?_ " Hypnos chuckled. " _Anyways, yes. Business. I know about Akihiko's father and the treasures left behind. Is that the real reason why you wanted that man dead? Or was it only to fully take over the business?_ "

" _I...how do you...well...?_ " he said with a form of shock.

" _Anyways, the heirlooms were found. They are no longer in the casino. They are safe with me. And I will never hand them over to you,_ " Hypnos said calmly. Then he stood up and gave out the auras of power and intimidation that he had carefully worked with. His clothes were so regal that he could have been mistaken for one of the Japanese Emperor's court. " _As for my business proposition, I would like to become your new business partner._ "

" _I do not work with one that I have just met,_ " Hachiro grounded out. At the small grin that was given next, he found himself trembling.

" _You have no choice, if you want to live,_ " Hypnos smirked. At this, Hachiro pulled out his gun and aimed it at Eir. Hypnos simply laughed.

" _I will kill her!_ " Hachiro warned. When he looked at where Eir was again, she was already gone. Her viral instinct to speed over and slam into him was in effect. When she seethed at him while he struggled to figure out what hit him, Hypnos calmed her gently and had her sit back down. " _How...did she move so fast...?!_ "

" _Well,_ " Hypnos smirked and grew out his sword arm. " _that depends on how much you can tell me on what you know of this business you have with the casino. The true business. How much is it worth for me to spare your life?_ "

" _What...are you...?_ " he asked with shock.

" _I am a byproduct of the Blacklight Virus. And you...are simply a main course dinner,_ " Hypnos grinned wickedly. " _And, since you drew your weapon on my wife, I will let her decide your fate. I gave you a chance. You slapped it back at me with this rude behavior. It is only fair that I return the favor by simply letting another gain control of your fate._ "

" _He should see Grandmother,_ " Eir beamed. " _Father will not allow me to witness anymore violence. So, he needs to see Grandmother._ "

" _Well, it was nice knowing him,_ " Hypnos sighed. " _We'll collect some blood samples on his next ride over. Ah, the other side effect of what he consumed in the limousine should be kicking in about now. The first part of the drug was to sleep. The next part was a form of paralysis after a mass bout of adrenaline takes place. If he remained calm, then nothing would have happened. Of course, after all this..._ "

" _What?!_ " Hachiro gaped. When he tried to get up, he realized that he couldn't. Everything seemed to slow down in motion for him when his adrenaline of the moment wore off. His limbs were too heavy to move. It wasn't even paralysis. His muscles were simply locked up. He was easily lifted by other drones and placed back on a stretcher.

" _Thank you for showing me that my new drug worked perfectly. And the paralysis will wear off by the time you reach your next destination. Don't worry about the casino. I'll take care of it from here. Thanks for calling and stopping by,_ " Hypnos chuckled. Then he looked at a nearby drone and ordered, " _Take some blood from him now. The drugs will not affect us, and his blood will be easy to clean in a filter._ "

"I'm done speaking Japanese," Eir muttered. She was clearly irritated now.

"That's fine. If he can't understand us, well, who the fuck cares?" he grinned and led her back to the table. "Let's finish eating. No need to worry over someone who is going to die."

"Okay," she beamed and let him kiss her passionately. She knew she was safe. She just didn't like being a target. It took all of the control she had to keep from slaughtering the older man when the gun was pulled on her. "Oh. If he dies, I want his gun as a trophy."

"That can be arranged," he chuckled. "I'll even place it in a nice box for you to set on the wall. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," she giggled. The older man was already on a waiting submarine to head to the main base. While he was being transported, Agatha was fuming.

"He tried to target Eir..." she growled. "I want to kill him."

"Okay," Alex shrugged and poked Emily to get her giggling. She was reading a children's book on proper manners and fun forms of etiquette.

"Dad!" she beamed.

"What?"

"Um..." she frowned and pointed at a word.

"That is the word 'the'. It's said just like that," he said.

"Hard," she frowned and seemed to pout.

"Well, either it's hard to learn because you make it hard, or it's easy to learn when you make it easy. Think of it being easy to learn. You can do this," he said. She blinked and thought of it being easy. Then she gasped and clapped her hands, as the words made sense. "Mom and I will be a bit busy later. Nick will be here to help you learn more, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. When Brian came in, she beamed and waved at him.

"Hey, Emily!" he smiled and sat in a chair. He was turning into a rather handsome young man now. Agatha was very pleased with her son. "Dad, I had to tell you something. We're expecting someone here soon, right?"

"We are. How do you know?" Alex asked.

"Akihiko's dad wants his son to kill him and take over the casino business in full. He just told me. I mean, yeah, we'll be the ones in charge of the casino, but his son has to do the dirty work. If it can be done, then he would see him as worthy to guard the heirloom stuff. But, he still has to get a wife, too. So, if he kills his old partner, then he would be worthy to all of us," Brian said. Agatha mused at this, and even Alex started to send the word through the link. Dionysus was now moving to where Akihiko was staying.

"Yes?" Akihiko asked when he answered the door.

"Your father's old business partner is coming here. Right now. If you kill him, we will see you as trustworthy. Even your dad will, too. Do you think you can kill this guy?" Dionysus asked. "If not, well, not sure what to say."

"Give me a gun," Akihiko said without a second thought. Dionysus grinned wickedly.

"A drone will provide one to you before meeting with him. But, I'll lead you to the armory to let you pick one out. And don't use it on me, or any of us. Bullets don't work, and our Emperor survived a thermonuclear bomb. We can't die," Dionysus shrugged. Akihiko's jaw dropped at this news. "Well, the only way we can die is if our Emperor cuts us off. So..."

"Even me?" he asked.

"If you take some of Mother's blood, it may be possible. It hasn't been tried with a human yet. You now have us very curious! Maybe we can test with someone who deserves to die. Heh. Maybe the business partner. That can work! Okay. You kill him and help us figure out if this works. Got it?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Oh...um... _Sorry, I need to speak like this for now. Doesn't the blood grant special things? If it does, I may be at a disadvantage._ "

"Ah! Yes, you're right. Hmm. Okay. You'll get a shot of blood before he does. However. If you don't kill him, then we will have to kill you. So, make sure you kill him," Dionysus warned. Akihiko swallowed and nodded. "We didn't bother to remove the gun he has on him, either, and Eir wants it as a trophy. So, the gun goes to her. Anyways, come on. We do have some time, so we had best prepare."

Akihiko nodded and followed the breeder male to the lab. A few hours flew by quickly for him by going through the weapons and various body armors available. Hypnos was able to send over some experimental armor, too, from some of his previous shipments. Akihiko was all too eager to help test them out. While he was still waiting for his target to appear, he moved into the mess hall to grab a bite to eat.

"Emily!" Alex growled when she ran ahead of him. "Back to my side."

"Sorry," she frowned. He picked her up to let her cling to him.

"Yes, I agreed to walk around the base with you. Your mom is with Robert right now. If you run from me, then you will walk with Nick. Behave yourself," he warned. She nodded and snuggled into his shoulder. When Akihiko saw the small red-headed beauty, he was in complete shock. Alex gave a seething glare at him. "This is my daughter. Stay the fuck away from her."

"Oh..." Akihiko swallowed.

"I don't trust you. Don't fuck with me," Alex warned again. Then he looked at his daughter and said, "And don't you tell your mom that I said mean things."

"Um...ice cream?" she giggled. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I'll bribe you with ice cream," he sighed. She clapped her hands, and a drone was quick to serve up the cold and sweet confection. "Don't make a mess or you get another bath."

"Dad!" she pouted. Then to prove a point, he ate her first spoonful of ice cream. "No!"

"Don't talk back to me, and I'll stop that," he smirked. Then he glared at Akihiko and made a motion for him to get lost. The man cringed and quickly left. He knew a drone could bring him any meal he wanted, but now his thoughts went to that beautiful girl.  _If she was Alex's daughter, then I would be in for a world of hurt if I tried to get close._

He had never seen a girl like her before. He was completely smitten with her. He knew she was quite young, too, but he was surprised at himself that he was willing to wait. When he saw Hermes approach him, he paused with concern.

"We can hear your thoughts in the link now. Emily is always protected. She is considered extremely special for being the daughter of Mother and our Emperor. She was adopted in by them. She is considered a princess. Brian is their son, and he was adopted in the same way. She will grow one year in a day. She's almost at five days now, so five years old. Because you like her, you have just made yourself into a target. Tread  _very_  carefully," Hermes warned him. "If you make one wrong move, our Emperor will slaughter you."

"I understand," Akihiko nodded.

"Now, if she comes to like you back, you may gain some protection. But, I wouldn't put it past you. Do you know how others gain the wives that they do?" he asked. Akihiko shook his head. "Okay. You gained a shot of Mother's blood to prepare for the fight. I'll explain how we work here. If you're hungry, you can eat as I talk."

"Yes. I do need to eat," he agreed. They walked to Akihiko's room to settle in, order something to eat, and discuss what was expected. As he listened to everything while they ate, he was in shock. "So...if all goes well...I could gain a wife through the Empress?"

"Yes. If you want to play it safe, I would do that. You may get a wife like Emily. If not exactly, but it could be close. Just keep that in mind. Okay, I just got the message that this sick fuck is being placed in a training room. He will be armed. Are you ready?" Hermes asked. Akihiko nodded, finished off his sushi and rose up with him. They waited ten minutes for Hachiro to start shouting insults with rants and raves.

"Emily is with Nick," Alex said, as he relaxed by his mate's side. "We won't let her listen or see this. She's safe."

"Fine. And, if Akihiko tries to touch her, he has to go through  _me_ ," Agatha growled protectively. Robert could only agree, as he watched the live feed. She wanted him to remain with them while this was going on. Alex nodded, rubbed her growing belly, and focused on the link to contact Hypnos.

_:My Emperor?:_ Hypnos asked.

_:I'll make sure the gun is sent to you when this is over. What do you think of Akihiko liking Emily? What are your thoughts?:_ Alex asked.

_:Fuck him. He is not worthy of her. Give him an egg from Mother.:_ Hypnos growled.

_:Glad we had this talk. Thanks.:_ Alex smirked and dropped the connection. He whispered to Agatha, and she nodded slightly. Now he paid attention to the video screen to watch Akihiko walk in with his own small, semi-automatic pistol.

" _Hachiro. Let's end this,_ " Akihiko growled. The older man glared at him with hatred.

" _I don't know what the fuck you're pulling, but I will gain all the profit in the end!_ " he snarled out. " _I will be the one to hold all the cards!_ "

" _What did my Father ever do to you?!_ "

" _He held me back! He held the business back! We could have made so much more, but he said it wasn't safe. Why do you think I convinced you into the drug runs? We tripled our profits! We were able to expand the casino by three more levels!_ "

" _You convinced me to kill him, because he believed in what was right. He wasn't all about money like you. He was about family honor! And I was too blind to see it. Even you coerced me into your schemes, and I simply went with it. No more of that._ "

" _Well, you'll be joining him soon, anyways,_ " Hachiro grinned. There was only one problem. Akihiko was younger, far more agile, and was hell-bent on proving himself. Right before Hachiro could draw his gun, he already had a bullet in his head. But, it didn't kill him.

" _Good luck getting out of this one. 'Uncle' Hachiro,_ " Akihiko spat. As Hachiro lay there dying, Alex focused on him and removed him from the hive link. The man screamed from the pain that moved through him before finally going still. Then his body began to decompose from Agatha's blood dying off. Without a fresh host, there was no need to keep the flesh going. It was what happened to the drones. The same thing happened to humans.

"Collect his gun. Collect any other items of interest on him. Make a clone of him to get into society. Clean up the mess. Do this now," Alex muttered out. Agatha nodded and relayed the order. There were already breeders in the Japanese government that would easily file away any paperwork to make the casino theirs. Another breeder set would take over the casino. Next on their list was the election. That would be seen to swiftly.

"Here he is," Nick smiled, kissed Emily's cheek, and set her down on the bed. Alex let her snuggle between him and Agatha with a form of complete comfort. Alex already knew that he would want her out of the room when the time came for Akihiko to claim an egg. He refused to let Emily even think that she was desired by a human. Alex would be the one to judge who she went to. It would give him a reason to kill someone. As if he needed a reason, anyways.


	128. Chapter 128

Time seemed to fly by with the election plans in full swing. Approximately thirteen days went by. Brian wanted to wait until Emily was an adult before deciding to see what he wanted to do about gaining a part of Alex. As much as Agatha was a touch dismayed at the wait, she did agree to it. Alex also relented, and it gave them a bit more time to work on the elections and various travel times. As Emily grew older, the same option was given to her. She was a touch excited and nervous, too. On her eighteenth day, she found herself with her brother in his room to talk about everything and make a final decision.

Brian had a rather dark, mysterious handsomeness about him that would make the hearts of many women melt if they saw him. Even when he blinked his warm, green eyes a certain way, he gained a mild effect of Hypnos. He also seemed to have a slightly permanent five o'clock shadow, but only in a certain light. It only added to his mysterious aura. He even let his hair grow out a bit, but just to come down past his neck and ears. His viral family had him do a little weight training on occasion to help fill out his chest and back. That easily improved his physique without any other need to diet or exercise. He was a little shorter than Alex in height, but he had gained a touch of his forlorn nature to disregard anything that wasn't important. Alex was quite pleased at that. It only enhanced the knowledge that Brian was his son.

Emily had a lush, full figure and a beauty that was just below par from Agatha's. Even her hair seemed to tame a bit in the curls, but there was enough of a natural wave in them to give her a sultry, appealing look. When the curls tamed, her hair simply got longer and ended up almost at the floor in a thick, lush carpet of vibrant red. Her personality actually took after both of her parents. She was as calm and collected like her mother. But, when she got pissed, Alex's temper flared and snapped her into a mild rage at whoever pissed her off.

The two siblings were relatively close, but it was like normal siblings. They would back each other up in a fight and even defend each other to the death. Of course, they did challenge each other in various training spars and video games. They loved each other, but it was a natural, family love. They couldn't think of being with the other.

"I think I'm going to do it," Emily smiled softly with her honeyed, dulcet tone. Her green eyes had a light shade of blue added to them, as she gazed at her brother. "As a proper princess, I don't see why I shouldn't. And I would be your true sister and Dad's true daughter."

"Very true," Brian smiled with a nod. His voice had deepened into a rather rough, yet pleasant tone that only added that much more to his appearance. She brushed off the crumbs that landed on the burgundy velvet, one piece dress she wore from the sandwich she just ate. He was wearing a classic, white, button down shirt with a stiff-folding collar and blue jeans.

"Is Jeremiah doing all right?"

"Oh, he's adapting quite well to the clone! It's almost as though nothing is wrong. And they did give him the ability to have kids. George's expertise in that was invaluable."

"George. I still get nightmares about him once in a great while," she shivered slightly. "I know he is an ally now, but..."

"I know. He abused you at such a young age. He terrified you. Dad even told me that you pissed all over him when you saw a drone resemble George."

"I did?!" she gaped. "I was never told this!"

"Yeah. So, they kept you from seeing him. At least Akihiko got his breeder girl."

"And I'm glad that he lost his affinity for me the moment he saw her. And she looks nothing like me, thankfully!" she sniffed. The female that Akihiko had made for him was slender, lithe, and a complete contortionist to suit his tastes. She did look like a traditional Japanese woman with long black hair and dark brown eyes, but it was her beauty and interesting talent that floored him and squashed any thought of Emily from him. At least that they knew of.

"Mother would have killed him," Brian grinned wickedly.

"I'm sure you would have, too," she chuckled.

"Very true. Anyways, Dad will be talking to us soon. To find out what we want. And, you know what? I think I am going to do it, too. A part of me says that I owe him, but I also know that I'd be an idiot if I didn't take the offer. I've been thinking about it for so long that I know that, if I don't do it, I'll regret it."

"Shall we tell them?" she smiled. He nodded and stood up with her to pull her close and kiss her forehead in a purely brotherly way. He kept an arm around her dainty waist, as he walked with her to their parent's room.

"There you both are!" Dionysus grinned.

"Hello, loser," Brian grinned and flashed his white teeth wolfishly.

"Oh, fuck you, too!" the breeder male scoffed. Emily laughed and shook her head. "That's an awesome way to greet me!"

"Well, it's the truth," Brian shrugged. "Anyways, we were going to talk to Dad."

"Are you going to go through with it?" Dionysus asked.

"We are," she nodded.

"You may get your names changed," he grinned.

"It's fine. Comes with the job," Brian shrugged. Emily chuckled and hugged her viral brother. Dionysus squeezed her and let her go.

"After this, we may make plans to finally get a few more out to the surface. Of course, this family fucks so much that it may not be necessary. But, I did understand that a celebratory meal was going to be done once you guys do what you need to do. So hurry up!" he grinned again. "Athena's starving and pissing me off."

"And you haven't fucked her yet to shut her up?" Brian snickered.

"You'd better go before I forget that Hermes is the asshole," Dionysus muttered. Emily nearly died laughing at that, and she let Brian lead her the rest of the way to where their parents were. Agatha was having a light meal to keep herself from getting too full for the feast to come. Alex was reclining next to her, and he nodded to them when they walked in. Two chairs were already set up for his kids to settle in.

"Dad," Brian chuckled.

"Hi, Dad!" Emily beamed.

"Kids. Did you both decide?" Alex asked.

"Yep! I want to be your daughter in full," Emily smiled.

"And I'm your son," Brian nodded.

"Good. Brian, when this is done, you shall be called Orion. Emily, we have a couple names picked out for you, but it's a tossup. We have Cassiopeia or Andromeda. Yes, based off of constellations, but that is what your mother and I have decided when it comes to kids. What do you both think?" Alex asked. Brian blinked at this. He liked what his new name was going to be. Emily was musing over the two names given to her.

"I like Andromeda. If I remember, Cassiopeia was the mother. I'd rather stick to being the daughter," she chuckled. Agatha could only agree with that reasoning.

"So...how is this going to happen?" Brian asked now.

"Two shots of my blood are going to be drawn from me with Nick's help. Then those two shots are given to each of you. As to where, it will be in the neck to be the closest to your hearts," Alex said. "I honestly have no fucking idea what will happen. But, the two of you are strong. Your mother's blood will help you survive this. Just remember that we both care for you very much. If anything goes wrong, I can see about reversing it."

"I am nervous," Emily admitted. "But, it's a good nervous."

"And my thoughts reflect hers," Brian sighed. "Anyways, we're wasting time."

"That we are. Love? Did you want to see this?" Alex asked.

"What sort of question is that?!" Agatha scowled at his grin. "You know I do!"

"We did make a grand hall, didn't we?" Brian asked.

"Not really. We probably should for shit like this. Anyways, let's go to the lab. I'm sure various breeders will be there. And Robert, too," Alex nodded. Agatha wasn't pregnant yet, and Alex was growling with the denial to have her. She had just given birth to breeders, too. "Brian. Remember the golden rule. I don't know how my part will affect you. But, like the others, you don't touch your mother. If you do, you'll answer to me."

"Dad...that's...gross..." Brian shivered. "But, I understand. My way of thinking may change. I'll remember that."

"That does make me wonder," Emily frowned. "I don't know if my thoughts about Brian could change. I mean...I hope not..."

"We will see," Agatha said warmly and let her daughter hug her. "We don't know yet. We'll only find out. Come on."

Brian gave a mild look at his sister and sighed.  _If I did become attracted to her, at least I know that she's not a true blood relation. It was only through a bit of blood that binds us together. I can work with that, but only if the attraction was there._  At the sight of who was in the lab, he only groaned inwardly at the spectacle. _Practically all of the breeders were there. And cameras were up for live video feeds._

Nick walked up to Alex with two small syringes and was able to collect the reddish-black viral blood. Ragland and Hariti carefully swabbed alcohol over where the needles were going to go to sterilize the skin. Both siblings were nervous.

"Ready?" Nick asked. Both Emily and Brian nodded. At the same time, they were both injected. They both began to cough and spasm, as the potent viral blood burned through them. Then it was done. The odd thing was that they felt no different afterwards.

"Children?" Agatha asked.

"Mom..." Emily whispered. She smiled and hugged her daughter. Brian was next to be hugged tight. Then they hugged Alex to show they were well.

"I still find my sister and my Mother disgusting when it comes to anything more than family," Brian chuckled. "Oh. Is my new name in effect now?"

"Yep. Toss your old ones out," Alex grinned. "The hive knows this. No longer are you to be referred to as human names. Your new names are the only ones you need. Now, if you go out in public, you can call yourselves the old names. But, around here, new names only."

"How do you feel, Orion?" Andromeda asked.

"Not too bad, Andromeda. A bit hungry, though," he admitted. At this, the drones appeared to escort them to the main table. It was filling up quickly, but Alex, Agatha, and his kids were settled in small throne-like seats. Even his twins with Agatha were given such seats. Monitors were displayed all around to show the Kings starting to appear with their Queens to switch on the video displays. Anyone that was able to join the feast through video uplink or to personally be there was able. And they were all sent the same meals. The Kings had their meals sent out carefully in advance.

"Okay. Here is how this works," Alex said. "We are all going to eat first. Then we are all going to play a game."

"Oh, great," Robert winced. Hermes smirked and kissed Dana. Their six-day-old son was in his lap and already eating something to keep him quiet.

"Behave, Prometheus," Hermes warned him. His son had gained his hair and eyes, but had much of Dana's natural beauty and intellect. When the dishes were finally served, everyone tucked in. Agatha was fed something slightly different, since she needed the hardier meats. Everyone else was fed light soups, sautéed dishes of various meats, and other delights that were, apparently, from around the world. Any children there were served something different that was more suitable for them. When the meal was done, Alex ate the last piece of Agatha's dinner, since they were sharing the large slice of meat, and gestured for Nick to set up a puzzle.

"No..." Dionysus gaped.

"Shut up. Everyone does this puzzle. Except for your mother and I," Alex grinned. "Of course, the kids are exempt. As for the Kings, they have to watch and advise where pieces go if they see where the piece fits."

"I know what it is," Apollo cringed.

"I don't care if you do know, or if you don't know. Do the puzzle," he ordered again. Athena was even in shock, since she was served the same thing. Within minutes it was done. And everyone was outraged with shock and dismay. "Yes. Every animal on this puzzle was served up as the main course for this dinner. And I'm sure you know what part. Or even parts."

"Fuck you!" Loki scowled.

"There are kids at the table," Agatha said in warning.

"It just shows that I always win," Alex snickered.

"Dad! I mean...how could you...?!" Andromeda cringed. Even Orion was in shock. Osiris and Isis were too busy laughing to be disgusted and outraged. It was the same with Hermanubis and Sigyn. That was the whole idea.

"You knew it was coming. You just didn't know when, right?" Alex chuckled.

"You are not fair, my Emperor!" Dionysus scowled. Dana was tapping her fingers on the table and glaring at her former brother. Alex made a face at her like he always used to do when he got away with something.

"Agatha, you need to do something for us now," Dana said with a small smile. "Since I am his sister, it's only fair."

"Oh?" Agatha smiled. Now Dana sent her a private message. That surprised her. And now she grinned wickedly. "Alex, dear..."

"What?" he asked warily.

"How many women did you become again in your viral days without us? Do you remember?" she asked. Then she laughed when he moved to scoop her up from the chair and rush with her back to their bedroom.

"You bitch!" he growled.

"Dana put me up to it," she grinned wickedly. "She was able to send me a message."

"Seriously?!" he gaped. He had no idea that she could do that.

"Well, it is her DNA that I'm using. I'm not surprised. But, do you think you could tell me how many? The kids really want to know..." she prodded again. Alex gave her a scalding glare to have her laughing again. Once he was out of the room, and the younger Queens and Kings were gone, the swearing argument started up in the feast room.

"We have to get even with him!" Cronus growled. "He fucking owned us!"

"How?" Coeus asked. "He knows everything."

"I could design something..." Hypnos mused. "But...it would take time. And I would have to make it indescribable until it was finished. And, as a precaution, I will say nothing."

"Wise idea. Considering the drones," Robert muttered and shoved away his empty plate. "However, I want something else that I know I can see in full before I eat it."

"Okay," Nick nodded and had a dish of fully steamed bull testicles set in front of him. At the seething glare the drone was rewarded with, Nick said, "What? You can see what it is, right? Is it not what you asked for?"

"He had this whole fucking thing planned out!" Robert growled and shoved the dish away from him. Nick laughed, took away the dish, and gestured for various slices of perfectly roasted Wagyu beef to be set in front of him. Slices of Kobe beef strips were set down next with elegantly steamed vegetables. "I'll eat this. Thanks."

"I swear, what is it with Dad and animal cock?" Orion sighed, as he started on the fresh plate before him. "It's his fetish."

"No. It just shows that he always wins," Nick chuckled. Then the drone bent down to whisper softly in his ear. Orion paled and looked down at his plate. Then he cleared his throat.

"Guys. Um...yes...this is beef. And it's Wagyu and Kobe. But...it's sliced..." Orion started. Now the swears started up once more.

"Fuck it. I'm eating it," Andromeda said. "I don't care what it is. I'm hungry, and it still tastes fine. And, if you don't think about it, then it can't get to you. That means that Dad can't win. It's all about our reactions. That's what he likes to see."

Osiris blinked at this new reasoning. "You're right. He still wins, but, if we don't let it get to us, then he can't win all the way."

"Exactly," she smiled. "And I know how to get even with him. He always called me a cock block. I never knew what it meant until Dionysus kindly told me a couple days ago. And he called me this as a kid when I slept with him and Mom. So, I'm going to see what new kids appear, the youngest ones, of course, and let Mom adopt me a new brother or a sister. I'm thinking a sister. Dad always showed a nicer side of himself with me. And, if you all remember, Mom wouldn't let him swear in front of me, either."

"Okay. That would get even with him," Orion grinned wickedly. "I'll help you choose."

"If your plan works, then I'll save my idea for another time," Hypnos grinned. "I know of a few areas in Japan that I can have a drone scout for a young child. One that could easily pull on Mother's heart strings. We could do this so that she has one child from all over the world. Of course, the two of you are an exception. But, we would have to play it out carefully. She was always drawn to ones that suffered the most abuse."

"I just felt like I wanted to be with her and Dad, but, I do agree with this. The younger the better," Orion chuckled. Hermanubis was now musing on who he could find, but they didn't want to overload their Emperor and Empress with too many kids. There was a lot they had to do now, but they also knew that with Alex having a kid to work with did help him out.  _It kept him on Agatha's good side and kept him in the loop with parenting instincts._

"There was something that I did want to discuss. And I was hoping to do so with our Emperor," Osiris said. "It involves the elections."

"I'll listen for him. He's preoccupied right now," Nick said and sat down.

"What is on your mind?" Hypnos asked. Cronus made ready to listen. Even Oceanus was giving his direct attention with every other King on screen.

"A few days after the drone bearing Father's form was seen for the elections, we got a letter stating for him to drop out," Osiris smirked. "It was a threat, yet in a non-direct way."

"Hmm. Sounds like a cease and desist message, if you ask me. If another letter of the same kind is sent, take over the carrier," Nick said.

"That's the thing. It's done through the post office with no return address," Osiris said. "The carrier was innocent of it. As they tend to be."

"Then we'll call out the fucker in the next election. And I'll have my drone say this," Robert grinned. "'As much as I enjoy receiving fan notes and showers of affection from afar, I prefer to meet my fans in the flesh. This way I can shake their hands and thank them for their support. Letters and postcards to my office are nice, but I see it as a way of cheating. That's not a true supporting fan to me. I show myself all the time. My fans should do the same thing.

"However, if other officials are trying to negotiate a peace offering with me, then that, too, should be done in person. Personal notes of jealousy and discrepancy are fun to read, but they don't do anything to true competition. As an adult, it should be known. I refuse to work with children.' Now, of course, I may not say anything like that, but you all get the general idea."

"And, if they try through phone calls?" Orion asked.

"That's still cheating. But, I'll know what they sound like. They wouldn't do such a thing. Also, just by that letter reaching my drone's office shows that they are, clearly, part of the government. Just because I was getting kicked out of the military does not exempt me for attempting to run for the Presidential elections. Everyone can try. Only two will succeed for the final debates. We'll need to keep tabs on the local media that follows us around. Also, I want a drone to start studying up on the current man in the White House. From what he eats to how he takes a shit, I want to know."

"Blackmail?" Hermanubis grinned.

"Why not? They did it to me. Paybacks are a bitch, if you get what I mean," Robert smirked and was given a healthy slab of actual Wagyu shoulder meat. "Besides, they'll all get what's coming to them in the end. It was like Agatha said. I'll be helping fix this country. Hopefully. No idea what to expect, but this is what I know."

"And, if it doesn't get fixed?" Orion asked.

"Then we'll watch all hell break loose as we sit back, grin, and sip a martini cocktail," Robert chuckled. "This whole country feels like it's going to Hell in a hand basket. As much as I should care, I tried to help the legal way. I got spurned for it. Why the hell should I care now? I only care about those that gave a shit about me in life. Those were the ones that are now dead or backstabbed me. The rest are the lot of you. I have no more fucks to give to the rest of the world. The only fucks I can give are to Agatha."

"And those are some wild ones, huh?" Dionysus grinned.

"You are not the asshole," Loki reminded him. Andromeda giggled and finished off her meal. Orion was also laughing at this, and Nick whispered in his ear. He glanced mildly over at Akihiko from where he sat with his mate. Now he saw the small glance that was done to his sister.  _Something was wrong. Very wrong. And didn't he have a daughter now?_

"I thought their bond was cemented?" Orion muttered to the drone.

"It has...but his thoughts are wandering. Such a thing is unheard of," Nick muttered back. "He is able to hide them, but his eyes are betraying his nature."

_:Talk to him.:_  Alex said to his son directly. Orion got up, yawned, and looked over at Akihiko to gesture for him. His mate looked at him with a slight worrying of her lower lip. When Agatha told her mentally to go with him, the female was up and with Akihiko.

"Uke Mochi," Orion said to her when they got into another room. "Does he still desire my sister? After being with you?"

"He does," she winced. "We do have a daughter together now, and we do love her, but I still feel him slipping. Our daughter is with a drone right now. I will need to tend to her soon. It is only when Andromeda is in the room that his mind wanders. Otherwise, he is one with me. I do not know what to think."

"Uke..." Akihiko winced.

"It hurts so much Akihiko!" she whimpered. "I do everything for you!"

"You will kill her, if you do not remove these thoughts of my sister," Orion said darkly. "If she dies, so will your daughter. They cannot live without you. Yes, if your daughter grows up and gets her King, then she will live. But Uke Mochi will die. Her bond with you is her life. Are you going to cast her aside now?"

"No! Uke Mochi is more than everything to me!" Akihiko said.

"Then tell her this!" Orion growled. As a test, Andromeda walked into the room. She hugged her breeder sister like another sister would.

"We are one and the same," Andromeda smiled. Then her eyes narrowed at Akihiko. "She is your mate. Your love fuels her life. If she dies because of your disgusting thoughts over me, then I will kill you personally! Destroy your thoughts about me! You have to!"

"I just don't understand how this could have happened," Orion admitted. "A natural bond should have killed all thoughts about you. Unless...he didn't really kill them at all. He hid them away. All of the others killed any unwanted thoughts. He just hid his."

"Please, my husband!" Uke Mochi begged. "Only love me! I was made in your image! I do everything I can for you. If I have no purpose to you..."

"But, you do," Akihiko whispered. Now the true cementing happened. He only gave just enough of a bond to show that it could be done. Now he realized that he didn't want to lose her. Any other thoughts he had about Andromeda were smashed when he saw how much his wife was suffering over it. He didn't want to see her suffer like that ever again. He had hurt so many others in his past. He wanted to kill that part of him, and he finally succeeded.

"Now go to your daughter, and be a family," Orion advised. Akihiko bowed respectfully to him and to Andromeda. Then he gathered up his wife in his arms and carried her out of the room. Andromeda let out a shaky breath and shook her head. "I know. That was close."

"Tell me about it," she frowned. "And I don't even know if I'll find someone."

"If you do, you tell me. I'll test his worth," her brother grinned. She laughed, let him hug her tight, and they walked back to the table to finish their meals.


	129. Chapter 129

A week passed quickly. Osiris was going over the newest batch of children that just reached the base.  _All of them were too old to be of any use for Mother._ At least, that was what he thought. He didn't see the small toddler that found a way into a crate of cooking supplies back at the New York port. He didn't see how the little girl hid herself from the drones from the mess of chocolate sauce she got into out of hunger. The dark substance easily coated over her when it was opened messily. It was on the submarine when they heard her get ill from too much of the bad food that she was found.

"Where did you come from?" Osiris mused when she was brought to him. She was horribly thin and easily orphaned from what he could tell.  _She wasn't a part of the group of carefully nurtured kids. She was a complete stray._ A blood drop even proved it. As much as he wanted to bathe her, he didn't. He wanted his mother to find her like this. From the illness of what she just ate that stained her already dirty shirt to the too tight pants, he wanted her to be found in this state. He couldn't make out what she really looked like, but he could tell that she had intensely blue eyes and light brown hair.  _Or was it blonde?_ He would find out in time.

"Where do we place her?" his drone asked.

"Get Andromeda," he grinned. When she appeared, she took one look at the child, hissed her shock, and snatched her up to take her to her mother. "Good luck getting out of this one, my Emperor. Paybacks are a bitch, as Father said."

"Mom? Dad?" she asked and had Robin let her into the bedroom. "Um...Mom, you may want see this. If you aren't too busy."

"Too busy with what?" Agatha asked. She took one glance at the whimpering girl in her daughter's arms, and Alex groaned with disbelief.

"You all set me up!" he scowled.

"Shut up!" Agatha growled in purely maternal mode. "Warm bath. New clothes. Warm food and drink. A shot of my blood. Now! Don't dawdle!"

"Sorry, Dad," Andromeda smiled. "Osiris found her. She was in a crate and completely overlooked. She got into the chocolate supplies. They think she's a complete stray."

"Fine..." Alex winced. At the look of fear the small girl gave him, he sighed. Even his maternal instinct to raise her was back in full. He didn't like it. "No crying."

"Here," Nick said and prepared a warm bath. As the small girl started to cry in fright, Agatha gently crooned to help keep her calm. The chamomile scented water would easily soothe the girl and make her a touch sleepy for better examining.

"It's okay. Mama's here. See? You're safe now," she murmured and began to wash the poor child's hair to reveal all the dirt that was in it. When she found it was a golden blonde, Agatha beamed at this. Now Alex knew the child was claimed in full.

"I fucking hate the lot of you," Alex growled at his daughter.

"Dad, remember who served up dinner," Andromeda smirked at him. Now he gave her a look that had her giggling like crazy.

"I knew it! A fucking set up!" Alex scowled.

"No swearing, please," Agatha warned. He glared at his daughter, but sighed and accepted the hug she gave him and a kiss to the cheek.

"You were a cock block. Now you brought me another one to replace you," he muttered.

"I'm just fulfilling my duty," his daughter beamed. He rolled his eyes, and she laughed. When he heard the soft cries, he muttered to himself and walked over to the bath.

"I said no crying. What?" Alex asked the toddler. At the small glance to him, and the hesitant reach for him, he hung his head and grumbled. Agatha could only smile.  _Every little girl that appeared seemed to want Alex. The boys tended to be with me._ "Fine. Come on."

The little girl didn't appear to be able to know how to speak yet. The lack of nutrition had destroyed most of her vocal skills. A painless shot of Agatha's blood would easily fix that, and it was given as Alex distracted her with small pats to her back. After she was comforted, he set her back in the bath to help bathe her.

"Does she have a name?" Agatha asked.

"No," Andromeda said when she thought to the hive. "The drone that took her blood says no name or remembrance of parents."

"Her name is now Gemma," Alex said. "No need for a fake human name."

"Right," Andromeda laughed. When Orion came in, he was appalled at what his new sister looked like. After learning her history, he growled.

"I'm glad she had no parents. I'd be killing them, if she did!" he spat.

"Do the ghosts say anything?" Andromeda asked.

"Hmm. That's a good question," he mused. "I'll see what I can find out, but I don't want to bring too much attention to her until she's stronger. I'll ask when she's more stable."

"Good idea," Alex muttered, as he bathed his new daughter. At the sight of a warmed milk bottle with refreshing bottles of juice, he gathered her up in a towel and began to help feed her with Agatha. Ragland was soon called for to evaluate her. Even Hariti showed up to study the small child. They didn't like what they saw.

"She should be much larger than this for a three-year-old," Ragland sighed.

"She's supposed to be three?!" Agatha gaped. "She looks like she's one!"

"Look! She's growing already to catch up what she lost," Hariti smiled. "She's gaining her proper weight, too. We'll need to feed her."

"Already in the works," Alex said and helped bottle feed her the milk her small body was demanding. It was enhanced with proteins to help her body take what it needed. Flavorful juice was next, and he held her when she slept on his shoulder. "Okay. Everyone out. My newest daughter needs to recover herself."

"Of course. I'll have some specialty dishes made," Hariti chuckled. Alex only nodded and found himself silently guarding over the small girl. The instinct was back to protect and nurture in full. Agatha sighed and moved to the bed to recline in it. Alex was next to let Gemma settle between them, as her body healed and built itself up to where it had to be.

As this was going on, back in the States on land in an undisclosed location, a small meeting was being set up. Several powerful figures were sitting at a round table and looking over the current Presidential listings. Robert's picture photo was being passed around.

"What do we do?" one man asked, as he smoked a cigar. All six of the men there were wearing expensive suits, and they were at the same level of power in both money and commercial influence. Only their silhouettes were seen, and the cigar smoker appeared to have an average build to him. He also appeared to be the leader from the embellished rings and commanding aura he gave off.

"This man could give us problems. A letter was sent to advise him to back down. Our man on the inside said that he just laughed and tossed it aside. This man has no fear. He's been on the field of battle. He knows what it is like to stare death in the face," a slender man with a silky voice sighed. "I doubt he would work with us. Even with bribes."

"And he has John Murlow as a close friend. That does not bode well, if he looks to him for financial advice," a heavy man sighed. "He ignores the media. He doesn't watch the news anymore. Why watch fake stories when he can simply make his own easily?"

"We will need to decide now. What do we do? Can we kill him discreetly?" a thin man asked with a bit of a small grin. "I could work on something. It's easy enough."

"And then the government would be hunting us. No. You would be a fool," a short, stout man muttered. "We need to send in another man to watch what happens. As much as we already have ones there, we need more."

"I think we should just leave him alone," a wise voice said from a rather frail figure suggested. "I keep getting this feeling in my gut that something is...different now. About that faulty Commander. With Robert. That something isn't right. He's too confident in everything. Confident men always harbor secrets. I mean...look at us! But, this is a dangerous confidence that I'm sensing from him. He knows more than he lets on."

"Well, you've never been wrong before," the first man mused with a shadowy shrug. "Anyways, what should our votes be?"

"I'll try to kill him," the thin man said again.

"I say, we leave him be and see what happens," the last man voiced.

"As much as I am curious as to what will happen, this man just won't do. He'll fight us. Let's just remove him," the slender man seemed to giggle.

"We should leave him be," the short man urged. "He'll give up when it's boring."

"I also say to leave him alone. He has powerful allies. We don't want exposure," the portly man muttered. "That would kill everything we have been striving for."

"And we would have a stalemate, if I say to kill him," the first man sighed and drummed his fingers on the table. "We'll give him a month to see what happens. We'll lay low and watch his motives. We still have our current men mixed with his."

"That we do," the wizened voice agreed.

"Meeting adjourned," the slender man sighed with boredom. The thin man was pissed. He already had a man on the inside that was ready to kill. So, when he got to his car, he simply gave the order to have it done.

If he only knew of the drones that swarmed his man to consume him and uncover the plot the moment the action was pulled an hour later. If he only knew the new plans of action that were going to be taken against the small group. If he only went with the dark council's decision to wait and watch. His small, impulsive decision now guaranteed the death of all of them. He did the one thing the council wanted to avoid. He drew attention to them. And it wasn't the attention of human law officials.

It was easy for Robert's drone to call a meeting in the dead of night. A secret meeting. One that could only be heard by the hive link. The ones that didn't show up were the obvious culprits. When the other five spies found themselves pinned down and strapped to chairs, the questions started. When the lies were found, the drones revealed themselves. Then they gained five new faces to join Robert's committee party with a whole slew of memories.

And Alex was amused at what was learned.

"Hera," he grinned at his mate in the bed. "Another cheap fuck tried to kill us. Only the target was the Robert drone. A spy was hired on to see what was going on. He was given an order to try and kill our drone."

"Are you serious?" she giggled. "Do we know who gave the order to kill it?"

"The same ones that sent off that little letter. And there were other spies in our troupe. Five others. They now belong to us with all of their dirty little secrets. And each one works with a very specific human party. So, we had six spies in our midst. When one tried to kill our drone, the entire plot was uncovered. I'm thinking that we should make a special trip to each house that each man belongs to. Then, if they choose to work against us, we simply...recruit them," Alex snickered. "Ah. Cronus wants to help. Hmm. And Hypnos has an interesting idea. To let Kings take over the men. We do have quite a few now. A few don't have bases. We could let them live in the places these others have."

"And, if they have families?" she asked.

"It's easy to replicate the lives of husband and wife. The kids could be raised like nothing was wrong. But, it could be a bitch if something else happened. If there are families, we'll look into it. Otherwise, we'll do what we must," he shrugged. "It's what must be done."

"Very true," she nodded. Gemma blinked awake and coughed a bit. Alex rose up to gently rub her back to help her. At the sigh of comfort he heard next and the feel of her arms around his neck, he muttered to himself.

"Dah?" Gemma said weakly.

"Her first word!" Agatha smiled with a small clap of her hands.

"What, Gemma?" Alex asked softly. This girl was oddly gentle from where she came from. Andromeda was full of fright and stubborn fear when she was found, but this one survived against all odds. The small girl was trying to say something. Alex felt out her thoughts. It was easy to do with Agatha's blood in her system. "Yes. You are safe now. Your mother and I are protecting you. You stay here with us."

She just trembled and nodded before letting a few tears fall. He hushed her and gently rocked her. This girl actually seemed to affect him a bit more than Andromeda did. She was also rather smart just by understanding him. When Nick walked over with a set of soft, plush baby dolls for her to play with, Alex nodded. He was in a purely protective mode now. At the sight of a bedraggled boy with dark brown hair and green eyes walking in with Osiris, Alex glanced over with an odd look.

"This one doesn't feel right with any of us. So, I brought him to see you both," the breeder male smiled. Alex now glanced at his mate when she sat up to assess him.

"How old are you?" she asked gently.

"Um...nine..." the boy said.

"Where are you from?" Alex asked.

"I come from England. I was on the streets," he said. "I was in another place, but they didn't like me. So I ran away. Then I was found a week later."

"Do you have a name?" she asked now.

"It was...um...Charles. Or Charlie. I think," the boy frowned. "I can't...really remember. It's hard to remember. It hurts."

"Would you like a different name?" Alex asked.  _If the boy couldn't remember his real name, then it would simplify a few things._

"I...I guess so..." he shivered.

"Come to me," Agatha crooned out softly, and he found himself moving quickly to snuggle into her warm embrace. At the sensation of complete safety he got, even by how her tentacled hair wrapped around him, he began to relax. When he threatened to cry, she gently soothed him. "That's it. Just rest now. You are safe with us. You are now my son."

"Sorry, Dad, I had to come back in when I heard I just got a new brother," Orion chuckled when he walked back in. "And, from what I learned, you need a new name?"

"We were thinking about it," Alex said. "Do you have one in mind?"

"Name him Perseus," Orion chuckled.

"Hmm. We were thinking of constellation names. Even star names. Ah. Perseus is a constellation name. Yes, that can work. Okay, your new name is Perseus," Alex said with a gesture to the boy. "And this is your little sister, Gemma. You have another older sister by the name of Andromeda. It's true that everyone else here is your family. But our little family is special."

"Are you going to give parts of yourself to every kid you take in?" Agatha mused.

"Why the hell not?" Alex smirked. "Anyways, there are quite a few names that we can choose from when it comes to stars. We'll have plenty to pick from."

"Do I have a new brother?!" Andromeda asked when she came back into the room.

"Yes, you do. His name is Perseus. Also, we uncovered a nice, lovely plot. We'll find out more about it when it unfolds. As of right now, investigations are underway. I'm still not sure as to what we are to do about it," Alex muttered.

"You know," Andromeda grinned. "they sent us a cease and desist letter. We should do the same thing to them. If we know where they gather, we can send these idiots a letter to back down in warning. A little mentioning quote that their spies were uncovered. And that, if more are sent, we'll know who the culprits are."

"Or," Orion grinned wickedly. "we plant blackmail evidence against each other so they start to build mistrust against each other. If there are only six of them, then it should be easy enough. They can keep themselves neatly entertained with what we plant, and we can go about what we need to do for the elections. What do you think?"

"Definitely our kids," Alex grinned ruefully. "You know, I think there's a King named Thanatos. He's with Shinatobe's and Tsuneo's Queen, Tethys. He always has interesting ways on how to kill someone. He's rather ruthless. Even looks the part, too. Have him and Lelantos get together with Hermanubis and Osiris. We can have Thanatos and that other King, Erubus, start infiltrating into the meetings. Maybe take out the two weakest members to take their places. Since his Queen, Hemera, was from Benzaiten and Toshimichi, the Kings did meet and shake hands. They can work together on this easily."

"I can see that," Osiris nodded. He was still in the room, as he mused over the new events. "I can get with them easily to start planning things."

"Have a true dark council of Kings this way?" Agatha mused.

"I'll send the word," Orion chuckled.

"No. I will," Nick said. "That's what drones are for."

"True," he agreed. "But, I do think we have plenty of Kings and Queens now to take over the world. And then some."

"That we do," Alex nodded. "With all the recruits we have been getting, now would be the time to do a world takeover. But...let's have some fun as we fuck up the world."

"Alex..." Agatha muttered in warning. He glanced at her, but saw that Perseus was sleeping. Gemma looked up at her new father and smiled, as she leaned into him. Then she turned and started to play with a tendril of Agatha's hair when she got a tickling poke.

"I'll get with the others," Osiris smiled and walked out of the room. Andromeda and Orion laughed and chuckled, as they got the mental poke to leave.

"He needs a bath," Agatha said softly and gently pet the dark brown hair on Perseus's head. "I thought he was being cared for by Osiris and the others?"

"Hmm. Ah. He's a new recruit. He only had a day's worth of interaction, and everything was so quick that he had no time to get properly cleaned up. We have a room being prepared for him now," Alex said. "Hey! You don't eat toys. You eat food. Here."

"Yah?" Gemma asked when she was given a flavorful, soft cookie. Her teeth were starting to grow in properly now. He ran a hand over her back gently and made sure she ate the protein-rich food. Her body severely needed it. It was going to be another solid day of nourishment before she was back up to normal standards and healthy weight.

"No more kids," Alex muttered.

"Just keep telling yourself that," Agatha smiled. He looked at the door when Osiris walked in with Hermanubis. At the sight of the blonde-haired, blue eyed child in Alex's lap, Hermanubis swallowed a chuckle.

"You say something, you'll be eating your own ass," Alex grumbled to keep from being overheard by his new daughter. "What do you want?"

"Thanatos wants to strike now. Since that one spy was hastily told to attack, he wants to return the favor. He thinks it's proper," Hermanubis grinned softly. "Even Lelantos wants to cause a little havoc. He's thinking a Hunter sent to each home location. After we look into their personal lives, of course."

"Hmm. A Hunter sent as our messenger..." Alex mused at this. Then he grinned in such an evil way that it chilled both breeder males to their viral bones. "Get six of the largest Hunters you can find. Put them on standby. We'll send them in gift-wrapped boxes at the same time. They can't warn each other. They open up the boxes..."

"Problem solved," Osiris mused and grinned.

"And, if any live?" Hermanubis asked.

"We'll bring them here to play with them," Alex smirked. "We'll watch them first. Maybe send in a drone or two to 'burglarize' their homes. Give them a sense that their defenses failed. Start spreading paranoia through them. Then, when they start feeling better, we'll send the gifts. Do this now."

As they got up to leave, Agatha was already showing incredible interest in this. Lelantos was all for it. Thanatos even started to send his drones to the quarantined island to get the best pick of the Hunter litters. Cronus was already sending out his drones to find out what they could about the six men in question. It would be easy to take out and consume whatever was out there.

_:Do we have a time frame?:_ Thanatos asked in the link. His mental voice sounded calm and collected. Like a true blood-thirsty killer.

_:Twentyfour hours. Want to impress me? Make it six.:_ Alex snickered.  _:Want to impress me even more? Find something of intense value to give to your mother.:_

That had the Kings give mental glares at each other for the challenge to be accepted. Alex snickered loudly and let Gemma snuggle into his chest. He loved working up the Kings. It truly did show who the boss was.

_:Make it one hour to infiltrate at least one of those households, and the one that succeeds can decide how to start the little interview.:_ Agatha pushed through the link. Now the Kings were relentless. Alex grinned widely at her and pulled her close to kiss deeply.


	130. Chapter 130

They decided to target the man that ordered the initial attack on the drone bearing Robert's face and form. They wanted him to be the first one to get the message and send the warning. He was surprisingly easy to track down. The man always thought that living in the public eye drew less suspicion. And he lived alone with a small cat. He was currently out at a food and wine convention. It was one of his weaknesses.

There was a drone there that was at one of the stalls. It was selling off some of the processed wine from Osiris's vast collection from Commander John's personal storage. A few duplicate bottles were easy to disperse. He did keep one of each for himself, though. He even had two bottles of vintage Madeira that were bottled around the 1800's! One was opened for exceptionally light tasting. The other was still sealed. Osiris had to keep them both.

There were a few other unopened bottles that were in display under lock and key. The antagonistic man rose a brow at one and optioned to see it. He was rather tall and wiry, and he covered his hair and face with a beret and heavy glasses. Even his dress seemed a bit wealthy for where he was. He did have guards, but the place also held cameras. As long as he kept to himself, he was never accosted by anyone.

"Very good, sir. This is a bottle of French Montrachet. A white burgundy. Excellent quality, never opened. It can be yours for only three thousand," the drone said calmly.

"I see!" the man was clearly impressed.  _All of the labeling was correct. The wax was sealed._ He could even smell the vintage coming off of the cork from the inside. "Do you have any more of this? Or is this the only one?"

"It is the only one so far," the drone said. It was immaculately dressed, and it had claimed a rather fit man that was robbing one of their houses. It was a decent build for dealing with conventions like these. Other bottles of rare wines and cognacs were shown, but the man's eyes kept going to the Montrachet.

"I know I shouldn't...but...I must have that white burgundy!" he chuckled. The drone nodded and accepted the liquid cash card purchase. Now that the hive link had his account information, he would be even easier to track down.

"My brother owns an excellent cheese stall three isles down. I think he has some imported baby Swiss and a few slices of White Stilton Gold. And, yes, there's real gold in the cheese!" the drone said with a hint of excitement. The man's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Call your brother! Quickly!" the man grinned. The drone did just that. The one in charge of the cheese stall had carefully laced the rare cheese with a mild sedative. It was tasteless, odorless, and would last as long as the cheese did.

"Sir! I have your order," the cheese stall drone chuckled and presented the small slice of white creamy cheese that was dotted with gold. The card was run again, and the man figured he was done shopping. He went to his limousine, opened up the cheese and quickly devoured it.

"Five hundred bucks down the drain...and so worth it...!" he groaned in ecstasy. As the drug took effect, a scout drone appeared before him. It was easy to slip in before he entered the limousine. He would think it was all a dream.

"Your group has been found out. Your assassin has been killed. Your life may be next, if you don't heed our warnings. Enjoy your new delights. It may be your last meal," the drone said calmly in its monotone voice before camouflaging again. It was planning to ride in the car to record everything for the hive mind, anyways, so it made no move to leave. The man came to quickly and panicked. Now he made a phone call.

"Hello?" the voice came out on the other line. It sounded like the lead man.

"Um...I think we have a problem..." the antagonistic man winced.

"Problem? Let me guess. You jumped the gun?" the voice sighed.

"And...the bullet was caught...and destroyed..." the man swallowed.

"WHAT?!" the other voice said with complete shock.

"They  _know_  about us now!" the man hissed out.

"You idiot! How could you...wait. What's that?" the voice seemed to pause, as the doorbell rang. At the package received at the door, the man was confused. "I didn't order anything! Hmm. Let me see..."

"What happened?" the thin man asked.

"I got a delivery. And inside it is...did you send this to me?!" the man fumed.

"Send what to you? You know that, if I'm sending you something, I always tell you!"

"Only you...would know that...I had...a very prized...particularly prized...and very rare breed of dog...my Chinook..." the man was so angry that he was hyperventilating. At the jingling sound, the thin man realized that he was sent the dog's collar. At the sound of a note being opened, he heard the harsh scream that came out next. His dog was stolen and being held hostage. His main weakness was going to dog shows and winning them.

The dog was being well-cared for, though. The drones took over a couple of the handlers to keep the dog calm. And, now that they knew how to train dogs properly, they were going to use this technique on various Hunters to see if it worked. If it did, it could simplify things.

"I don't have your dog! I was at the cheese and wine convention! I gave no orders!" the thin man said quickly. The other man was trying to calm down. At another call he got, he muttered. "I have another call. It's from Tony."

"Don't you fucking dare hang up on me!" the man on the other end snapped.

"I won't! I'll three-way this conversation," he muttered and brought up the new caller.

"You cad! My prized fish! It's missing from the tank!" the sly voice shouted.

"Wait. Your dog is missing. Your fish is missing. I have...fuck! Get me home! Now!" the thin man shouted to the driver. "Someone is collecting our most prized possessions!"

This was how the hive was getting even with them. They were going to hold on to their most prized possessions. As much as they wanted to give them to Agatha, this was even better. It would ensure they held the upper hand at the elections. The large man had an exceptionally rare book. The short man had a tobacco pipe that was from the late middle ages. The wizened man held a painting that was nearly as priceless as the Mona Lisa. As for the thin, antagonistic man, they found an ancient wine bottle that was locked away in a specialized safe. They simply removed the entire safe.

Within each note were very specific instructions. To back off of the elections this year. That, if they wanted to see their prized items in the same condition they were when taken, this would be heeded and obeyed. Alex had each item carefully quarantined in his main base. The dog had, actually, taken a liking to Agatha. They could have seen to making clones of the dog, but it wouldn't work.

"He's just so cute!" Agatha had beamed when she saw the stud dog. His coat was a very pretty tan and brown coloring with darker lines around the ears and muzzle. As it was, an emergency meeting was being called now. It was easy for a drone to follow them all. A scout drone was now neatly stationed in the room the six men gathered in.

"We told you to do nothing!" the wizened man snarled at the antagonistic one.

"My Peppermint Angelfish! You bastard!" Tony snarled out in his sly tone. "It took me  _years_  to get that one! I was on a waiting list! I had received it just last year!"

"I'm going to get my Dorian back," the lead man growled. "The note said to lay low. To not interfere. Fine. We'll abide by it. And, what this means, Geoffrey, is for you to fucking listen to our votes! Don't fucking go over our heads!"

"I know..." the antagonistic man muttered. "They took the entire wall safe out! The whole damned thing! All I saw was the same note in the hole left behind. I had other rare bottles in there, too! But...fine. I'll stay out of this election."

"My Gutenberg Bible..." the portly man cringed. "If anything happens to it..."

"If we stick to their rules, then nothing will happen," the lead man said as he remained calm. "I just want Dorian back."

"After we get our things back..." Geoffrey growled.

"You will do nothing!" the short man hissed. "My briarwood smoking pipe...you fucking moron! If it's damaged, I'm taking the collateral out of your hide!"

"If they did this once, then they can do it again!" the wizened man snapped. "My Vincent van Gogh...that painting almost ruined me financially! But..."

"We know," the short man muttered.

"So, we'll back down. We'll just...wait this one out..." the lead man muttered.

"Agreed," Tony seemed to whimper. The others also agreed. Drones were already in place to ensure it. Alex was incredibly pleased with all of it.

"A whole safe. They took the whole safe! The whole fucking safe!" Geoffrey pouted. "My Chateau Cheval Blanc! I can't believe it..."

As the men continued to fret and whimper over their temporary losses, Alex was carrying Gemma over to the lab for a health check. Perseus had a good scrubbing and was set up in better clothes. He was currently sharing a room with Orion and playing a few games to help him settle in. When Ragland saw Gemma, he was very pleased at her increase in weight.

"She's all good! I'm relieved at this," Ragland chuckled. Hariti was next to check on her, and she beamed with approval, too. A protein-rich cookie was given over now, and Gemma happily chewed on it. "Hedeyasu has been making incredible snacks that are simply filled with proteins. I'm glad that they work better than shots."

"The shots will still be used as an emergency. Come to think of it, Agatha was eating protein bars to recover when we first met," Alex mused.

"Really? Would she know where they are?" Ragland asked.

"I'll ask her," Alex nodded.

"No need! Mother said they are in a freezer," Hariti said. "She's not sure where, though. We'll have to find them."

"I have drones searching now. Hmm. Ah. They were in the back of the main freezer. They'll be brought here. You study them. I need to talk to Agatha," Alex said and let Gemma snuggle into his chest, as he carried her away. On seeing his mate eating a large steak, he sat on the bed. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?" she smiled and cut a small sliver off for her daughter to chew on.

"I thought Hypnos was going to the United Kingdom base," Alex frowned. "I just realized that he's in Japan."

"Hmm. Ah! He didn't want to be there. He changed his mind to Japan at the last minute. Eir was closely in tune with Japan. You would have thought that Ran would have gone, but she chose the United Kingdom. She liked the culture a bit more. Hypnos also didn't like the structure of the base he was sent to. It had no large rooms for him," she said.

"Okay. The other bases and Queens...hmm. So, Frigg is in China. Rhea is in Australia. Phoebe is in Russia. Leto is in Italy. Tethys is in Egypt. Hemera is in Brazil. Wow. We have even more out there, too. Yeah, worldwide exposure is eminent," Alex grinned.

"Good to know," Agatha chuckled and fed her daughter another sliver of meat. It was a hefty slice of bear meat, and it was very sweet to show the animal liked fruits, honey, and nuts. There was even a glass of cow's blood for her to try. It was an uncommon delicacy, but she thoroughly enjoyed it. Even the small forming clots were interesting. "I do like this!"

"We can't do that very often, but that blood is from the Wagyu steer we have. They wanted to try something. It's good that you like it," Alex smiled and let her cuddle into him. "Hmm. Oh. A new shipment of Italy's finest meat came in. Interested?"

"Is that really a question?" she growled at his grin.

"Daddy," Gemma said and tugged on his jacket.

"What?" Alex asked. She made herself ready to play a game of patty cake. He rolled his eyes and she giggled at it. "Okay. Patty cake. Patty cake. Kill all the humans. Done."

"No!" she frowned and pouted. He laughed at her heavy frown and relented in the actual game. "Patty cake! Good!"

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed and ignored Agatha's sharp giggle. At a plate of meat that was sliced thinly and covered with oil, Agatha paused.

"It's called Bresaola. It's air dried and cured in a special way. Try it," Nick grinned. She blinked, rolled up a small slice, and tried it. At the way her eyes widened, the plate was soon empty. A plate of Prosciutto ham was given next to her, and she gave a sigh of delight at the flavors. Alex now moved to select a chunk to try. Even he was impressed. At the plate of Sopressata, it would be in high demand, too.

"I need more!" she beamed.

"This is called Speck Alto Adige. Italian bacon," Nick chuckled and presented this plate. This was now inhaled. She preferred the thicker steaks to really curb her hunger, but she never declined a new dish. Yawning and settling back in the bed, she sighed.

"So, what's the plan with that council?" she muttered.

"We'll keep an eye on them. If they mess up, we take them out. None of those men are married. None of them have families. Except for distant relations, of course. It will be easy to take them out, if they try to breach our terms," Alex chuckled. "So, for now, we'll continue to let everything run properly. We've proven who's in charge. We've proven we're the better ones."

"I still want to kill the one that tried to kill our drone," Agatha growled.

"The one called Geoffrey. Yeah. Ooh. I just had a thought," Alex grinned. "If they get out of line, we'll send them pictures of their items. And, of course, we'll make sure there are no reflections or visible ways to tell where they are. Just to casually remind them of what's at stake. You know? Think that could work?"

"Oh, yes," she grinned. "And, what's even better..."

"What?" he snickered and kissed her forehead.

"We could set up what we plan to do with them, if something goes wrong," she grinned a bit more. "For that fish, set up a stir fry..."

"Oh..." he blinked and started laughing.

"For the dog, put a new collar on it."

"That's cruel, but I like it."

"For the book...show a bunch of kindling..." she murmured in his ear. He growled and kissed her before relenting from the girl in their midst. "The pipe can be shown about to be bathed in a corrosive substance..."

"Hmm. For the wine...a corkscrew with a wine glass?" he snickered.

"And the painting...a knife to show how much we want to rehang it in pieces..." she mumbled and kissed him harder. Nick was quick to bribe Gemma with a cookie to take her from the room. An hour later, Gemma was returned to them to settle back into Alex's arms.

"Drones are now preparing everything. The safe was easy to crack. He left it open."

"What? He's a moron!" Agatha laughed.

"No, the dial on it was broken. He never repaired it. All we had to do was turn the handle. It was interesting to make that discovery. He'll be kicking himself. Anyways, we'll sit back and watch the elections unfold. Shall we?" Alex smiled and reclined on the pillows. Then he rolled his eyes at another initiation of patty cake. With a sigh he gave in. Such a thing he had no choice in. And Gemma was that much more devoted to her new family for the attention.


	131. Chapter 131

By the time the actual elections hit, it was three months later. Gemma was a stunning woman that easily came up to par with Andromeda. Perseus had a softer look than Orion, but he was a bit more muscled in his chest. There were no other siblings that happened, but, within the last week of that third month, a new girl was brought into the fold.

She was a beautiful black-haired girl with blue eyes. She was pulled from an abusive household by a passing drone that was delivering a shipment of goods in Italy. It saw the girl huddled in a corner and cringing at the screaming being done to her just for spilling a small pitcher of milk. When the drone appeared, the faulty parents tried to cover it up, but the little four-year-old found herself running to the drone. She felt safe with it.

" _I am speaking with the authorities over this. I suggest you figure out what to say,_ " the drone said in flawless Italian. It whispered soothingly to the girl, as it began to carry her away, and she just cringed at the screams of outrage the parents flung at each other. " _You do not need to go back, if you don't want to. Do you want to go back?_ "

" _No..._ " she trembled and cried with relief. The drone noticed that the girl seemed to be in a bit of pain, and that it seemed to come from her shoulder, but it would be looked into when she was taken away from there. It rocked her and gave a wary glance at the human parents when they started to scream at it now to give back the girl.

" _Would you care if my family made it so they never tried to find you again?_ " it asked.

" _That's...okay..._ " she whispered and clung to it weakly. She even looked thin. It nodded and sent a message to the hive link. Within seconds, two drones came out of hiding and distracted the couple as members of the local child protection services. That got the parents to shut up neatly and answer to them.

" _This child is no longer your property. I can see why she wants nothing to do with you. She appears to be in pain, and she looks like she has not eaten yet. For several days, if that. This is unacceptable. This is abuse, and the two of you are now held accountable. Here is a card with our number. She is now filed in our system. Good day,_ " the distracting drone said calmly. The number would lead to Eros. The King was stationed just off-shore, and it was his drones that took care of the incident.

_:My Emperor.:_ Eros said calmly.  _:My drones just picked up a child that was mildly abused from being shouted at. Other things also appear to be wrong with her. She ran to my drones for safety. Did you want to see her?:_

_:Send me an image.:_ Alex said. At the mental picture that was sent to him now, he narrowed his eyes.  _:What happened to the parents?:_

_:My drones distracted them and told them the girl was now civil property.:_ Eros chuckled.

_:Bring her to me.:_ Agatha growled.  _:And kill the parents.:_

_:Like she said. But, as always, background checks first.:_ Alex mused and dropped the link. "Hera, you're even more bloodthirsty than I am at times. And I'm not complaining."

"Good," she chuckled. "And are you really having the kids stop fucking each other?"

"I need them to get on a scheduled time-line for births. We have so many Kings and Queens now that we can afford to do this. I actually lost track! This will help me. Yes, we'll have a giant group of Kings that hatch at the same time, but we need this. I completely lost track of who's born and hatched. So, after a month, everyone will be on the same schedule. They can find other ways to get themselves off. And they know that, if they do something before I say they can, the others will have to wait that much longer."

"If they start bitching, what will you do?"

"I'll give them something else to bitch about. Like my foot up a few asses," he muttered. "Any Kings and Queens that leave the base are off my radar. They can fuck whenever they want. Regular breeders are fine, too. It's the specialized breeders that I'm worried about."

"I get that," she chuckled. "I just have to wonder about our new kids."

"Hmm?" he asked and let her snuggle into him.

"None of them have found partners yet," she sighed. "It would be nice to see them breeding out and being with someone."

"Mother," Orion said when he walked in and sat down. "I just overheard what you said in the link. If you really want us to start doing that, then we need to get out of this base. We can accompany the Robert drone, too, and pose as its kids. Oh. Whatever happened to that dark council bullshit? Are they still fucking with us?"

"Not since we sent out the pictures of what we plan to do with their shit," Alex grinned wickedly. "However, you are right. You would need to start venturing out with your other brother and sisters. But, here's my contract of trust. When you find someone, you bring that one back here for evaluation. Any of you, that is. If you don't like it, tough shit. I'll track your fucking ass down myself if you refuse. Got it?"

"Oh, I get it," Orion grinned and laughed softly. "Don't worry."

"You'll worry your mother if you piss me off. The last thing I want is for her to hunt you down with me. You don't want that, either," he warned. "None of you do."

"He is right you know. You have not seen me exceptionally livid. If I ever meet this dark council in the flesh, I don't think that anything will be left of them," she muttered and yawned. "Anyways, you may be getting a new sister."

"Really? If that's the case, I'll hang out here a bit longer. How far out is she?" Orion asked. He sent the message to the others, and Alex soon found his room swarmed with his small brood. Andromeda and Gemma sat side by side with eager anticipation. Perseus gave a calm, collected feel, as he waited to see what was going to happen.

"The little monsters are all here," Alex snorted. They all laughed. "She'll be here soon. She was being abused by her parents, and she's from Italy. So, she won't know English until she gets a shot of your mother's blood. She'll be here in the next two hours from what the drones say. So, go run off and have some fun elsewhere."

"Racing game?" Gemma giggled at Perseus.

"Sure. Why not?" Perseus snickered in a purely Alex-like way. She scowled, and Andromeda was quick to get up to start poking his sides to get him to move. Alex muttered to himself after they left and saw Nick start to set up the room with the proper nursery-like furniture. Agatha found herself focusing on the Robert drone and where it was.

"Hmm," she frowned. "Our Robert drone is in a meeting with reporters."

"It is?" Alex asked and focused in. "Ah. Well...fuck. Next month, you'll have to make an appearance. Maybe we can have the kids with us then. It can give enough time for our possible new daughter to grow up. Our specialized time-line will also be set up for the Queens to be birthed in a better way. It would just make it easier to track."

"I know," she smiled and rested against him. A puzzle was now set up for them, and they engaged it easily. When the small girl finally arrived, she gave a very timid look to Agatha and Alex. The nearly finished puzzle was set aside to let the girl get a better look at them. When her eyes kept straying to Alex, he sighed and got up to approach her.

"Come here," he said as calmly, as he could muster. She couldn't understand him yet, but she saw his gesture. She knew what it meant. She whimpered and reached for him to press her face into his neck. "Easy. Okay. Let's have a look at you."

"How is she?" Agatha asked gently.

"She's been beaten," Alex growled, as he pat her back. He already spotted a few bruises along her wrists from where she was grabbed. Then he felt over her arm and noticed something was wrong. At a closer study, and on realizing how much pain it was giving her, he stiffened with concern. "Her shoulder looks mildly deformed. Hmm. Why is that?"

"Ragland is coming," Nick muttered, as it prepared a bath.

"I'm here," the doctor said. "Ah, what is her name?"

" _What is your name?_ " Alex said gently in Italian.

" _Chiara,_ " the small girl said.

" _Was your family ever nice to you?_ " Alex asked, as her body was further examined. At how her deformed shoulder was poked at, she let out a small whine from the pain. She couldn't answer him after that. At how red it started to get, the issue with it was now told.

"This is fresh," Ragland glowered lightly. "From what I was informed, she dropped a pitcher. This arm has no strength. Her arm was pulled from the socket and hastily pushed back in. We'll need to fix this before she gets a shot of blood. And it won't be pretty."

_:My new daughter was abused! Harshly! Her arm was nearly torn from the socket! Slaughter the parents!:_ Agatha snarled out in the link. Even Alex couldn't tame this rage. Her order would be obeyed.  _:Eros. My son. I want you to look into this matter personally. I want those two humans to feel my wrath through your punishing kills!:_

_:You have my word.:_ Eros agreed with a mental nod. At the shrill cry of pain that happened next, Agatha knew that Chiara's arm was pushed back into place. When her shot of blood was given next, the harsh crying dulled down to hard whimpers when the pain faded out.

"That's it. The pain will soon be gone. Hush now..." Alex whispered to her and rocked her. "Easy now. No one will hurt you anymore."

She yawned once the pain had fully vanished away, and he felt her fall asleep on his shoulder. Ragland checked her vitals carefully before nodding and heading back to the lab after a shot of her blood was taken. When his other kids came in to see her, he gave one warning look to them.  _The parental instinct was there again._ They respected this instinct.

"How is she?" Gemma asked.

"Weak. Her shoulder was dislocated halfway out. And it was done earlier today," Alex growled. "Ragland had to push it back into place. Eros was commanded by your mother to look into the situation personally. And to, most likely, remove the parents in full."

"Good," Orion muttered.

"She should eat if she's healing," Perseus said.

"Very true," Agatha said.

"I'll get a few cookies," Gemma beamed.

"Let us do that," Nick chuckled and sent the order out. Now that the newest family member was getting spoiled and pampered under the water, above on land was a different story. Geoffrey was trying to find out where his prized bottle of wine was. As much as he was told to stay out of the elections and voting registries, he wanted his prized item back.

"They couldn't have taken it very far. I just...there's no way!" he growled to himself. "I'll pay any price to get it back! I simply...I can't let it go like this!"

As he began to go through every other safe in his massive town home to see what he could do to pull up as much cash as possible, the drone watching him was highly amused. Plans were now set in motion with various ideas passed around in the link. Geoffrey's small, Singapura cat watched him lazily with large, golden brown eyes and twitched a tawny colored tail. It mewed at the small caress that was given before watching him gather up more things.

A knock on the door was soon heard, and he moved to answer it. What he got was a small envelope. On opening it, he took out the card with a simple phone number placed on it. This number was going to call up Epimetheus. He was a King that knew how to use his words to a form of perfection. He could manipulate and be extremely cool at the same time. He was coercive, calm, collect, and downright ruthless like the rest when needed. When the number was called, the King picked up the phone calmly. He was one of the few that didn't have a base yet. He was simply living in a luxury suite in New York until something changed. He was fine with it.

He was one of the few Kings that did have long hair, but it was spiked in the front for his bangs and the rest went straight down to the middle of his back for the length. It was a solid, inky black in color, too, to add to his pale, gaunt features. His eyes looked slightly sunken in, but their color was an odd green hue that would almost remind one like a dull emerald that was covered in mud. He even sported the rare mustache and chin beard like an old black knight from various romance tales. He could have easily looked the part from his build.

His Queen, Eos, was a beautiful sight to behold with her father's brown eyes, and her mother's incredible figure and beauty. Her long, black hair was coiffed up into elegant spirals that cascaded down her back in a lush wave. She was from Otohime and Mamoru. The two of them looked like a dark fairytale couple of knight and princess from their casual dress. He was in a black, loose shirt with slight, billowing sleeves and tight pants. She was in cross-hatch dress of silk and velvet that easily resembled a medieval style corset dress. If they were given a base, they would likely make it just like that. A Gothic, medieval castle theme.

"Hello! I see you got my number," Epimetheus chuckled in an easy tone. "I understand that the, ah, wine bottle is yours. It was delivered to me for safe keeping."

"Where do you live?!" Geoffrey demanded.

"I'm in upstate New York. Want my address? I don't need old junk," he baited easily. "The wine in it is likely dead, anyways. I was going to open it to test it..."

"YOU CAN'T OPEN THAT!" the man screamed. "It's priceless! It's an heirloom piece! I just...please don't..."

"You mean like this?" Epimetheus asked, as Eos handed him a regular bottle of champagne. At the sound of a cork popping, the man screamed again. "Oh, stop it! It was a completely different bottle! I know of the value and worth of yours. Do you really think that I would be a fool to open such a treasure? Now, calm yourself down. I'll give you my address. You can come to me and pick it up."

"You're just going to...give it back...?" he asked weakly.

"Of course, I am," the King soothed in a honey-coated way. "We'll meet face to face. I had nothing to do with the theft. Like I said...I'm just a caretaker. All you have to do is set up a time, and we'll meet. You can even give out my number to your other friends. I was given all of their items, too. You should know what they are. If you don't, here's a list. There was a fish. A dog. An old pipe. A painting. Oh...and a book..."

"You have them all?!" Geoffrey gaped. "Yes! I'll have them call you!"

"You have to be quick, though," Epimetheus chuckled. "I am a very busy person. I may not be here in the next couple days. Maybe even the next few minutes. I'm always moving around. You know how it is, too."

"I'll call the others right now!" he said and hung up.

"Darling, you know you don't have them," Eos grinned wickedly.

"Oh, I know that. I never said what the bottle looked like. Did I?" he grinned just as wickedly as she did. He poured them both some champagne to toast with her, as he set the phone to have all calls go to voicemail. "Besides, do you honestly think that I would grace them with my presence? All I have to do is send down a note to the lobby for them explaining that my treachery was found out. That the thieves came back and reclaimed what was there. There will be instructions given that, if they really want their items, they can go on a submarine ride to an undisclosed location. As to where, well, we are going to send them to the quarantined island. It was Hermanubis's idea."

"Are you really?!" she gasped with laughter.

"Yes. They will do practically  _anything_  for their shit back. Thanatos is all for it. And, yes, their items will be there at the top of the hospital. We'll send an escort of drones with them. We'll make them do actual work to get them back. Of course...we did clone the dog. And that fish. We'll keep the originals. The cloning didn't work for the dog, at first, but that was because the machines were orientated to humans. But, it was Hedeyasu and George that realized what was going on. All we had to do was change the structure of the DNA sequencing and it worked perfectly. We could bring back a number of endangered animals this way, too."

"That would be an idea. Maybe even a dinosaur?" she asked.

"Okay. You just gave Hypnos a challenge," Epimetheus said and laughed sharply. "He's all for that! He is curious about that alien DNA, too, but we all agreed to wait until this presidential mess is over with. So, we'll have to remain curious on that."

"True. What do you think of our Emperor forcing the specialized breeders to wait?"

"On fucking and breeding out? I think it's genius. He is right that there is now a formidable force of us. And you aren't pregnant at all. Are you?" he grinned at her blush and moved to scoop her up and carry her off. Her stud male was busy preparing more letters to the dark council to send down to the lobby. As one of the Japanese soldiers, he was actually having fun messing with Americans.

The quarantined island hospital room was now getting an intense makeover. The false walls would still be there. So would the carpet and furnishings. But, most of the room was being converted into a giant broadcasting tower to help with Aten and Hemsut in the Antarctic base. The hospital was going to become a major video uplink point, too. It was being outfitted with servers, more screens for video conferencing and other high-end technological advances that would ensure that it worked above and beyond normal performances.

The hospital was also going to serve as an emergency medical and food bank. It had all of the resources there already.  _Why waste such a thing?_ Even the old military bases left were finally getting raided and sorted through. All of the infected humans were nearly wiped out, too. Any that were left were quickly herded up and quarantined into their own little section of the island. One never knew when an infected human could be useful.

With new plans in motion, it was now a waiting game. As the Robert drone agreed to have Agatha make a national appearance within a month, it was eaten up by the press. She was going to become a new political figurehead. And, should it come down to it, the hive would be ready to tear apart any that tried to touch her when she was out in the open.

Plans on what she was to wear, who was to travel with her, and how she would be protected was in full motion. Of course, her claimed children were going to be with her. Nick and her personal escort of drones were going to be there, too. Practically any drone that was already in the area was going to flock to her side. Alex was already making plans to scope out the sights. He was also very intrigued about the plan for the dark council.

"What's going on?" Agatha murmured softly. She was sleeping lightly against his chest.

"Hera," Alex said softly. "How badly do you want to see that council get fucked over?"

"Would I be eating popcorn?" she snickered. He grinned and kissed her hard before pulling her closer. Chiara was sleeping in a small rocking cradle that Nick was guarding. Unlike the other two girls Alex claimed, she was a bit more independent than the others. He liked that aspect of her. "You'll wake her."

"She's sleeping in another area," he muttered and kissed her again. "But, Hermanubis is rigging the hospital stairs and main room with cameras. We want this meeting broadcasted."

"Please do," she chuckled and snuggled into him.

"I find it odd that you can't make milk," he mused.

"Well, I don't give true birth. Why should I?"

"It was just a thought. Never said it was a complaint," he shrugged. She traced a finger over his lips, and he nibbled her finger gently. At how her hair began to move over his form, he grinned wickedly and dedicated the rest of the day to being with her and waiting for that council to finally get what they deserved. He hated showing leniency. This would be a nice outcome for him and the rest of the hive mind.


	132. Chapter 132

The five men met up at a derelict building an hour away from the docks. After talking to a voicemail before getting a callback from a drone secretary, they were told to meet up together for a black limousine to pick them up within a ten minute time span. None of the drinks were drugged this time. The hive was considering this as a last meal for them. There were even small snacks lining the areas ranging from sushi, to small sandwiches to even various cookies. They wanted these men to think they were being spoiled. Now that there was enough light out, the drones could finally put names to faces. This would help them know who to kill first, if needed.

The lead man had a very noticeable scar running from his upper lip to the top of his forehead on the right side of his face. It was from a reckless car wreck that he did in his youth. He had thinning black hair, and his right eye was blinded and lacked pigment from the wreck. His other eye was a dark brown. They found out his name was Mortimer. He was busy looking at a picture of his missing Chinook dog. He truly did value the animal like it was his son.

The portly man sported a groomed, brown beard and had small green eyes. He was bald on top with thinned hair along the sides of his scalp and over his ears. He did sport a small gold hoop earring in his right ear, since he thought it added a bit of character to him. He was drumming his fat fingers lightly over a leather arm chair, as he fretted over his book. His name, from what the hive overhead, was Winston.

The older, wizened man was next to seat himself in the limousine. The hive easily caught the name Xavier from a colleague of the man. He was using a cane to walk with, and his frame looked as wiry and tough as any other older man that tried to keep in shape the best they could. He still had a thick, lush wave of grey hair, but he kept himself clean-shaven. His nose looked too large for his face, but his bright blue eyes never missed anything. He was missing a back molar, but it was rumored that it had to be removed from being impacted.

Tony, the slender and sly man, seemed to slink into the limousine next. He looked like the usual greasy, blond-haired car salesman that thought too highly of himself. Even his clothes looked the sort, too, from being slightly larger than they needed to be. He was busy rubbing his long fingers over his slight mustache, as he worried over his prized fish. Beady brown eyes seemed to glare at the others, as he mumbled over what he was planning to do when he got his fish back. Like the others, he hadn't been sleeping well.

The short man was still fretting over his missing pipe. He looked like a Native American with Navajo descent from the long, black hair and brown eyes. His tanned skin looked well-kept from a good diet and exercising. He was sporting quite a bit of large silver and turquoise jewelry, and he was fidgeting with a large ring on his right middle finger. The hive learned that his name was Marco, and that he actually held ties with some impressive gambling organizations. It was why he was able to become a part of this group.

Geoffrey had intense bushy eyebrows and light green eyes. His hair was feather-light and thinning out all over, but was held down with stiff hair gel. He was already opening up a bottle of champagne to drink down. As much as he shouldn't, the bubbling wine calmed his nerves. Tony was quick to claim a glass, but it was sipped on lightly. It just gave him something else to think about. The others declined the drink. Each one was dressed in a casual black and white suit of some sort. They wanted to look presentable.

Each man was connected to some form of liquid cash. Either it was old bonds and stocks or new age funds. They were all very powerful in their positions. Money was not going to help them on this trip they were taking. When the limousine started to move, they all buckled in and glanced out the tilted windows. Ten minutes into the ride, they started to get nervous.

"Where are we going?" Tony finally asked with irritation.

"Would it matter if we are getting our things?" Geoffrey muttered. "I'll still stay out of the elections. I just want my Chateau Cheval Blanc back. Then I'll rest easier."

"What about your cat?" Mortimer asked.

"I have her with a friend. She's fine," Geoffrey nodded. What he didn't know was that, the moment his demise was met, the cat would be claimed as a new pet for Agatha. Anything the men owned would be taken into the fold easily.

"I have a crew that comes in to take care of my fish," Tony said. "For the amount I pay them, they always do what they're told."

"So, you actually give them a key to your house?" Winston frowned.

"No. My aquarium is in a completely separate building. An offshoot of the main house. It's easier that way," Tony smirked. "For the ones in my house, I have feeding blocks set up."

"That works," Marco said with a short nod. Then he claimed a small sandwich. "As long as I know I won't go hungry, I'll meet with whoever is willing to see us."

"Fair enough," Mortimer said and found a plate of sushi rather appealing. Twenty minutes later, the driving drone spoke into a small intercom system.

"Gentlemen, I have to pick up someone that will explain to you where your items are. After this, we are going to the dockside. You all must board a submarine that will take you to where the items are located."

"What?!" Tony gaped.

"This was not what I expected!" Xavier groaned. "Oh, how I hope my painting is safe!"

"Now I want to know where this submarine is going to take us," Mortimer mumbled. Geoffrey was still being glared at for putting them in this predicament in the first place.

He glared back at them and muttered to himself. When the limousine stopped at a small apartment complex, a different drone bearing Robert's form stepped into the limousine with two drone guards that bore no disguises. There were plenty of drones now that all looked different from the various Queen and King pairings. All six of the men gaped with shock at the sight of the Robert drone settling in with them.

"Hello, gentlemen," the drone chuckled and reclined in a seat. "Yes, I was the one that took your stuff. You all tried to kill me. I think it's fair. As for getting your stuff back, there's a big condition. You have to work for it."

"What?!" Tony asked.

"When we get to the submarine, I'll tell you where your precious items are. So, you all can relax. They're perfectly safe and in one piece. And alive, for the two that I have in my possession. So, don't worry too much," the drone said with a small shrug. "You'll be reunited with them shortly. So, relax and enjoy the ride."

"I should kill you!" Tony growled. Then the drone simply smiled and waited for the limousine to start moving. Now it could play nasty, and it snapped its fingers to have three scout drones suddenly materialize out of thin air. The men gaped with shock.

"You all have no idea who you just fucked with!" the Robert drone snarled out. "You know, I didn't want to let you all see where your shit was. I wanted to kill the lot of you right here. But, I work with a higher power, and this higher power wants to see your items returned to you. So, the lot of you will shut the fuck up and do as you're fucking told. Got it?"

"How...did they...?" Winston asked with a pasty white face at the scout drones.

"You'll find out. If you live long enough to get your stuff," the Robert drone snorted. "And, as for you, I wouldn't brag about anything. You're the one who put everyone here in this predicament. So, if I were you, I'd shut the fuck up."

Geoffrey cleared his throat, but only nodded as a reply. When Tony almost dropped his champagne flute from shaking so bad, a scout drone reached over and caught it quickly. The mumbling bit of 'clumsy human' was heard, and now the sly man was in even further shock.

"You're not human?!" Tony asked.

"Ah. Caught that bit?" the Robert drone grinned. "If that's the case, well, ah, fuck it. I was going to wait until the island, but this is too good! So, I'll ask this question. How else would we have found out about your spies so quickly in our midst? Considering that each of you had a spy in my little party."

"Um..." Mortimer faltered.

"It's easy to send out a mental summons that humans can't hear," the Robert drone said casually. "Ahh, but now I'm saying too much. Just for me spilling this, you'll all have to die."

"No! I'll fund your campaign in full!" Xavier said quickly. "I'll do whatever I must!"

"We all will!" Mortimer said with a small wince. Marco was already agreeing with this.

"Once I get my book back, I'll do the same," Winston said quietly.

"The same for me and my fish," Tony said with a sigh of defeat.

"Was this your whole purpose for this?" Geoffrey asked. "To get our funding?"

"No. It was to teach you all lesson," the drone smirked. "This was just a surprise bonus. The lesson was simple. You should have done more research. You should have waited a bit longer before moving in to strike. The moment your man tried to shoot me, he was dead. So, we nabbed him, found the others, and had them all fess up. They exposed you."

"Must have been some harsh torture," Mortimer said.

"No. The way we work is simple. One drop of blood...gives us memories," the drone grinned savagely. "We learned everything they knew from one little drop of blood."

"No..." Xavier whispered. "But...that reminds me of..."

"The Blacklight Virus?" the drone grinned even more. "Why, yes. It should."

"How?! That thing was quarantined!" Geoffrey gaped.

"He got out. I refer to him as my Emperor. As do the others that come from him. But, the island is still his. So, your things are on that island. Want them back? You have to walk the streets with me. That is how you earn your things back," the drone's grin became wicked.

"The elections..." Winston whispered.

"It's me. Not him. He has no dealings with shit like that. He just thinks that it would be something to do to pass the time. And we are now at the docks. So, here's your choice," the Robert drone said carefully. "If you want your shit back, you will follow me. Obediently. If you don't want your shit back, sit here and wait."

"I'm going," Tony muttered. "I don't want to be put on another ten year waiting list!"

"Dorian is all I have. I need to go after him," Mortimer said.

"My Van Gogh painting is proof of my financial successes! I just...count me in, too," Xavier muttered. Marco weighed his options heavily, but he knew he needed the pipe back. It was passed down in his family for generations.

"Will we be protected?" Geoffrey asked.

"Good question. If you behave yourselves, then yes. If you piss me off, you'll get a bullet-proof suit and a gun. Maybe a map and compass to find your assholes with if they get shredded off you. Get the idea?" the drone chuckled. The humans nodded in agreement. There would be no further arguments. The drone got out first and was a bit surprised to see Thanatos, Hermanubis, and Sigyn waiting for them.

"We are the primary escorts," the King smirked. "Our Emperor suggested it."

"We wanted to see them first. We'll likely scout ahead and meet you at the destination in question," Hermanubis said. "And don't worry about Tethys. She's with her stud."

"As much as I hate it," Thanatos sighed. He accepted the small pat to his arm from Sigyn, and he nodded to her. The humans were confused, but they wisely said nothing. "This way."

Mortimer now studied the ones before him. Hermanubis always wore his trademark pony-tail and designer leathers. Sigyn was much the same. Thanatos, however, had short, dark brown hair that was carefully layered. His eyes were a deep, intense blue and rather keen to spot any detail. He was wearing a near-exact replica of Hermanubis's leather outfit, but it was more spandex than leather. His build wasn't overly muscled, but was rather lean for speed, dexterity, and silent stealth. He was the main assassin of the hive. As much as he loved the hunt, the kill was even better. It was why he had to be there.

_:Mother, can I kill them mercilessly now?:_ Thanatos pouted.

_:As much as I would enjoy it, no. You know how Zeus would be quite disappointed with you, if you go against his orders.:_ Agatha said gently. As always, only with Kings would her true name with Alex's be used.  _:Lead them to the hospital. Let them get hurt, but not killed. Or get close to being hurt. It does help to show a bit of intimidation that way, doesn't it?:_

_:True. Oh, we did have those six Hunters on standby. They weren't shipped out yet. I do have an idea for them. Can we slowly release them one at a time to get killed off in front of them? That would be so much fun!:_ Thanatos snickered.  _:Maybe one of them will shit their pants!:_

_:Do it. We are watching the live feeds.:_ Alex ordered with a pleased chuckle. As the six men were taken into the waiting submarine, Alex watched the screens flick over to the inside of the submersible. Agatha was heavily pregnant with drones now, and he ran a contented hand over her belly. He accepted the small nuzzle she gave him. "Hmm?"

"You know you're going to have to keep from fucking me when I go up there," she giggled. He rolled his eyes at her. "How long do you think I should be up there for?"

"Well," he mused. "if we stick to nights to do our fucking and breeding, it should work. Not many humans run about at night. During the day, you can be egg free. At night, we'll get some drones out of you to let them sit and grow in a few tentacles. That can work."

"The kids are insisting that I wear constant studs with metal linings to ensure that I can wear earrings. It would be expected of me. And what all do I have to wear? The kids won't tell me anything!" she pouted. He just smiled warmly at her, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and had a large slice of slow-roasted boar meat delivered to her.

"They really don't want me to say. They want to surprise you," he said. He looked over at Chiara reaching for him, and he moved to lift her from the small cradle she was in. Then she surprised them both by pulling both of them to her. "What's this about?"

"Stay...like this?" Chiara whispered.

"Of course. Oh! Here, try this," Agatha said and served her up a small slice of boar meat. The small girl beamed at this, and Alex was given a small plate with another slice to help cut up for her. When she started to eat, Alex thought.

"Chiara, I want to give you another name. The name you have is pretty, but I think you deserve a better name. Is this okay?" he asked. She looked at him and blinked. "You're very smart. I'm sure you don't want a name that gives you bad thoughts."

"No. Um...yes. New name?" she smiled. She had a very pretty voice now that it was healing. It was very harsh before from all the crying she did.

"What do you think of Lyra?" he asked. She mumbled the name to herself and nodded to show she liked it. "Good! From now on, your new name is Lyra. Okay?"

"That name suits you very well. And you have brothers and sisters! There's Orion. See?" Agatha said and pointed to him when he walked in.

"Lyra! A very pretty name," Orion chuckled. Lyra was a touch shy now. She never had brothers or sisters before. "Would you like to play a game with me?"

"Um..." she blushed and snuggled into Alex's chest.

"Give her another day or two," Alex grunted. "She may be more open by then."

"I can understand that," Orion nodded. "Oh, there's another reason I'm here."

"And that is...?" Alex asked as he fed Lyra carefully.

"The ones on the submarine right now. They pissed off a lot of people," he grinned. "I am being asked, rather politely, to inform you that their deaths would be appreciated."

"Is that so?" Alex mused. "Will making them financially suffer count?"

"Hmm," Orion thought and tilted his head to something he heard. "Financial ruin is a nice option, but they prefer complete deaths."

"Interesting. Talk to Thanatos," Alex nodded. Orion smiled and focused slightly.

_:What's up?:_ Thanatos asked in the link.

_:Dad wants me to tell you that there are quite a few ghosts that want those guys dead. Financial ruin is an option, but deaths are preferred. Any ideas?:_ Orion asked.

_:We are setting up Hunter traps right now. Copies of the items in question are mastered so well that you can't even tell them apart from the originals. Including the cloned animals. So, we can let out five of the Hunters, kill them, and have the sixth one kill the group for us. After we take blood, of course.:_  Thanatos snickered. : _Would that work?:_

_:Perfect. It's accepted.:_ Orion laughed mentally. Alex was listening in calmly. As Emperor, he could hear any conversation in the link. It didn't matter if it was private or not. When Perseus and his sisters came in, Lyra cringed with a small whimper.

"They are your brothers and sisters. You have no reason to fear them," Alex said gently. "They protect you as much as I and your mother do. Okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. At the small gifts she was given now, she began to tear up. She never got gifts before. Within the hour, she was carefully coaxed into sitting on Andromeda's lap. Now she was fawned over and spoiled silly with treats, more gifts, and a lot of compliments. Agatha chuckled softly and let Alex pull her close to rest on him.

"I have another two hours," she murmured.

"Hmm? Oh. Until you give birth. Right. Well, until then, let's watch and see what happens, shall we?" Alex grinned, kissed his mate softly, and had Nick inform a drone to zoom in on the picture. The submarine had just reached the quarantined island.

"I'm going to scout ahead," Thanatos said calmly. "Just stick with Hermanubis, Sigyn, and the others. Robert, stay on the submarine."

"Of course," the drone said. The drone wasn't their father, so the name was fine.

"You're not coming with us?!" Tony asked with dismay.

"No. I can't. I'm a political figure now. You guys are always in the background. If you're missed, no one would know. Right?" the drone chuckled and shrugged. The six men cringed at this truth. "So, go on. Get your stuff and come back."

"I swear...when all this is over..." Tony growled.

"You'll do nothing, because you'll be choking on that fish you love so much when I ram it down your throat!" the drone snarled in a cold tone. Tony paled and nodded. When the submarine bay doors sealed shut, Hermanubis cleared his throat.

"I have my guards here. Just stay in their circle," the breeder male warned. Then he grinned at the smack his sister gave to his butt. "And I'll get even with you later, sister mine."

"Why not now, brother love?" she crooned. They ignored the looks of disgust on the faces of the men. It was why she did it.

"We fuck differently. It's all I need to say," Hermanubis grinned a bit wider and chased after her with an inhuman speed. Now the drones were purposely left alone with the humans.

"They just...left us?!" Tony gaped.

"No. We are with you. Follow our lead," a lesser drone of Robin grunted at them in a monotone voice. The small group was forced to comply and move at a snail's pace. When one of the large Hunters roared and charged at them, Thanatos was already on top of it with Hermanubis to gut it open. Thanatos ripped out its spine, as Hermanubis lifted up his clawed hands to simply let the entrails fall as the massive beast fell dead. The Hunter's gut got torn open easily in the loping gait it did.

"One!" Thanatos snickered and bolted off.

"One?! What does he mean by that?!" Geoffrey asked. Winston had taken out an inhaler already from the shock. Even Xavier was using an emergency bottle of oxygen that he kept in an inner coat pocket. Marco was shaking. Tony and Mortimer were both trying to remain calm.

"This is an island," Hermanubis said when he cleaned off his claws. "Do you honestly think that that's the only one? There are nests of them all over this area. We are protecting you from them. And they can get larger than that, too."

"Oh, fuck..." Mortimer grimaced.

"Don't worry! My family kills them all the time! It's why they keep getting bigger," Hermanubis grinned. "And it's getting skinned and butchered up! Excellent."

"Butchered up?" Winston asked.

"My family eats these things. They're quite tasty," Hermanubis chuckled. On hearing this, Marco turned and vomited on the ground. It was too much for him. Even the smell was rank when it reached them, as they passed it by. A bottle of water was handed over by one of the drones. After he recovered, Hermanubis nodded and bounded off for the next Hunter to be set loose. It was far too much fun for him. At the sight of the massive heart being removed, the men could only gape at the size of it.

"For our Empress," a drone nodded and took it to the submarine.

"Empress?" Geoffrey asked.

"Yes. Our Empress. The mate to our Emperor," a drone said, as it led them.

"Must be quite a thing to look at," Tony smirked.

"She is far more beautiful than anything you have ever seen!" a lesser drone of Nick said with a hiss of protection. "None can compare!"

"To you she may be beautiful. But, what are we to know?" Tony shrugged. On hearing this report in the link, Agatha was livid.

"You don't want them here," Alex sighed.

"They fucking insulted me!" she snapped. "Now they need to die! By me! No Hunter deaths! I need to kill them! Let them collect their fake shit. Then they get brought to us."

"Of course," Alex sighed and glanced over at Andromeda casually placing her hands over Lyra's ears. _The new fate of the men was sealed._  And it was cemented at the next comment.

"He does have a point," Geoffrey said. "How are we to tell? She could be an ugly cow."

"Our Empress has heard what was said. She is now insisting that you all are to meet with her. After you collect your things. I doubt you will survive the encounter," the drone smirked. "But, we shall see. Come. We are only wasting time."

_:Let me kill them for you.:_ Thanatos said.

_:No. They pissed me off. I'm done with it!:_ Agatha snarled out. Her son wisely backed down. And now her children witnessed her rage for the first time.

"Your mother is about to give birth. Take Lyra from the room for a bit," Alex said. When his new daughter whimpered, he moved to gently whisper to her with a promise that she would come back. She nodded, hugged him tight and let Andromeda carry her out.

"I've never seen Mom so pissed before," Gemma swallowed.

"You felt that, too?" Perseus asked.

"We were warned that her rage was intense," Orion sighed. "I had a sample of it when I was taken in by her. When the others wanted to take me away from her, she simply looked at them. It was enough to have them leave."

"Well, those idiots insulted her! Let her take them out," Andromeda nodded. Lyra frowned, but smiled at the small, comforting tickle she got. Twenty minutes later, the okay was given to bring her back in. She even let out a small laugh when Agatha's hair reached out to snatch her up to pull her to the bed playfully.

"Where are they now?" Agatha asked and accepted a heavy plate of deer steaks.

"Halfway to the hospital," Alex said. Lyra snuggled into his chest now and sighed with exhaustion from all the treats and food she ate. At the sight of the sumptuous chocolate cheesecake slice being delivered, Lyra's exhaustion vanished at the delight in her eyes.

"I'll get a small slice for her," Nick chuckled. As Lyra and Agatha got pampered silly, a second Hunter was brought down by Thanatos and Hermanubis. When the third one showed up soon after, they both laughed and charged at it to bring that one down.

"This should be enough to stock up three bases," Hermanubis grinned.

"I want this piece sent to Tethys," Thanatos chuckled and ripped out a rather tender bicep part. A drone would deliver it for him. Grabbing a couple slices to chew on, he was rather pleased with the texture. "We should make Hunter jerky."

"That we should!" the breeder male grinned. "You know, I wonder if we can make this stuff taste like beef with the right seasonings."

"And Hypnos is up for that challenge," Thanatos snickered.

"He's always up for different challenges," Hermanubis laughed. At the feel of something heavy smacking into the back of his head, Thanatos started laughing at how it was a massive portion of a Hunter's rump. Sigyn simply blew him a kiss from where she aimed it at him from a building roof and darted off. Now the breeder male's jaw dropped at what it was. "That bitch! She threw an asshole at me! She is  _so_  dead!"

Thanatos was in tears of laughter now, as Hermanubis bolted off after her. The King had to report to Alex. Now Alex was highly amused and had some new ideas of what to do at a later time. To the hive, killing Hunters was all fun and games. To the humans being herded to the hospital, it was the scariest shit they had ever seen in their lives.

It took another hour, and two more Hunter kills, before they finally reached the hospital. The humans were herded inside quickly and directed to go up the stairs. When they got into the metal doors, Hermanubis was seen with Sigyn bent over his lap. He was spanking her bottom for what she pulled. She was still laughing at everything despite the squeals she gave out.

"Are we interrupting?" a drone asked.

"No. Just finished," Hermanubis muttered and let her go to sit down on a plush seat cushion. "You just gave our Emperor new ideas. Good job!"

"You know it was funny!" she giggled and wiped away a few of her own tears of laughter. He scowled at her and sighed. Then he gestured to the drones to reveal the cloned and counterfeited items. The bait was never suspected. Mortimer gave a small whistle to the cloned dog, and it was responded to instantly. The drone trainers knew everything that was to be expected. The drones even infiltrated Mortimer's home again to gain some of the clothes that the man wore to let the cloned dog know the scent.

Tony was given an exquisite fish bowl with the cloned Peppermint Angelfish. The water was highly oxygenated to assist with transport. The copied book, Marco's pipe, and the recreated Van Gogh painting were also given over carefully. When Geoffrey waited for his wine bottle, the duplicate was handed over. But, he wasn't happy. "You took my whole safe out! There were other bottles in there. I need them back, too!"

"We only agreed on one bottle," Hermanubis smirked and sipped a bit of sherry. "If you want the others back, then we'll need another arrangement."

"But...!" he started. Then he paused at the glare. "Okay. What arrangement?"

"You insulted my Mother with your colleague," the breeder male growled. "Now she wants to meet you all. If you insult her to her face, you will die. You are to be respectful of her at all times. From this point forward. If you say one other thing about her, you're dead."

"I agree," he said lightly. He was still glared at with mistrust, but now it was time to lead them back to the submarine. There was one more Hunter on the loose. Thanatos had already taken it out the moment he had cornered it. As much as he wanted it to kill the humans, his mother wanted to meet the six men. _They were all going to die._ The sensation of doom was kept from them, though. Even as they sat in the submarine after the grueling two hour walk back, the Robert drone was just shaking its head. It wasn't surprised in the least, though.  _These men were asking for it._

"If you want something to eat, we'll make something in the galley for you," the drone said. "And don't get comfortable. Until you are back on solid ground, you're all in deep shit. You pissed off the Empress. She rarely shows mercy to anyone."

They all simply nodded. The hive found it hilarious at how each man was now treasuring a false item. The animals could be legitimate, but they were copies. It was still humorous.

"Lyra, you need to stay here with your brothers and sisters," Alex said gently. "Some mean people are coming here. Mommy and I need to handle them. Just wait here."

"Okay," she nodded. He kissed her forehead, hugged her, and let Perseus take her from him. She sighed and didn't like being away from her new parents, but she understood what had to happen. Agatha was dressed in her one-piece toga and decorated with her jewelry. Much to her children's insistence, the small, metal inner hoop linings for her ears were placed in for earrings to be set in. Alex found himself a touch speechless at how she looked in them.

"Those stay," he said. Agatha blushed softly at him and got kissed.

"They do feel strange, but I'll get used to them," she admitted.

"You had better get used to them," he growled and kissed her again. "Let's go meet the six fucks and finish them off."

"Yes. Let's do that," she nodded. They had just arrived from how fast the submarine got to them. Much to her delight, a special room was made. Even Alex was surprised at how it resembled a small throne room. There was one massive chair with velvet red lining, and it was gilded with gold. A rich, royal red carpet was over the tiled floor, and the walls were lined with Persian tapestries, rare paintings, and other wall hangings that were very hard to get. Large, Japanese vases with blue inked drawings and decorations were filled with sweet-smelling flowers. The lights were upgraded to a few crystal chandeliers. The place was completely worthy for the Emperor and Empress.

"And when was this set up?" Orion asked with a small whistle.

"No clue. And why are you here?" Alex grunted and pulled his mate into his lap on the throne. "I don't want you here."

"I was asked to be here. To bear witness," he said. Alex muttered, but gestured for him to sit in a chair that was brought in. Then he blinked when the other kids came in.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"We are your kids. That's why," Andromeda smiled. Then his two sets of breeder twins came in to wave. Agatha found herself laughing softly, but chairs were now brought in as small thrones. Lyra even had a tiny throne, but she ended up climbing up into Agatha's lap to be with her and Alex. He muttered softly, but patted Lyra's back to show she was fine.

"Dad?" she asked.

"What?"

"Mean men bad?"

"Yes. They try to hurt us. So, we hurt them. Your mom wants to hurt them. Your mom will protect you. Okay?" he smiled softly at her nod. The other kids were curious to see how their mother was going to do this. When the men walked in, they paused first at the show of the room. Then they saw the beauty sitting in Alex's lap.

"Go to your sister, dear," Agatha said softly in her ethereal tone. Lyra nodded, kissed her cheek, and trotted over to Gemma. Now Agatha rose up calmly. "I am Agatha. The Empress. I am also known as Project Hera. I am the mate to Project Zeus. He's in the throne behind me."

"Oh..." Mortimer gaped. Alex glared at them all, but he said nothing. The cloned dog next to Mortimer showed no malice to Agatha at all. At her warm smile, the animal barked happily and bolted to her side to sit down obediently. She pat the head of the dog and let Perseus have the animal rest at his feet. Mortimer was appalled. "What did you do to Dorian?!"

"Nothing at all. He simply decided that he liked me," she shrugged. "I had nothing to do with the thefts of your items. You all insulted me. So, here I am. In the flesh. And you should set your fish down before you drop it and shatter the bowl."

"Oh!" Tony blinked and did just that.

"And you were the one that insulted me first," she glowered. "So, tell me. Do I look ugly to you? Anything like a monster?"

"Um..." he faltered.

"Because, to me, you look like some greasy slime ball that isn't worthy of my bed much less a proper greeting! Why do humans like you exist?!" she snarled, as her rage grew. "I swear that I'll never understand it! You abuse others that are beneath you. You lie about everything to get where you're at. You demand to be treated differently without a just cause for it. It absolutely disgusts me! And to think that I was created to be bred out, cut into pieces, and sold off to the highest bidders once my usefulness was done! If I knew what this world was truly like, I don't know if I should even think of..."

"Hey," Alex said when he moved behind her to whisper. "Your purpose is for me."

She looked at him with a heavy frown, and he cupped her chin. He whispered softly again, and she nodded with a small sigh. Then Winston noticed her hair. His jaw dropped. Then the rest of her hair moved to gently coil around her mate for comfort. She looked at him and said, "What should I do?"

"Finish what's started," he muttered and kissed her. "or ignore them and let them go."

"But, if we let them go, then they'll talk about us. They'll get in our way," she frowned.

"No," Xavier said. "I said I would fund your campaign.

"But...we don't need money," she said. "We need privacy."

"I can ensure that," Mortimer said.

"And you said that you would kill us once you got your item back," she said and looked at Tony. He paled. "I think you would still try. Why should I give you another chance?"

"It would be in your best interests!" Tony said quickly. That made her feel like she got slapped in the face. At her look of intense rage, the other five men backed away from Tony quickly. "I was...only meaning for it...to be beneficial! I..."

"You have thirty seconds," she seethed out. Her kids were actually nervous now. She was far more lethal than Alex in this mood. "Convince me."

"I am partnered with a lot of banking industries," Tony swallowed, as a tendril of hair now moved to approach his face in a stalking way. He forced himself to remain calm, as other tendrils now moved to coil into a killing position. "I can convince them to help fund you. To help do whatever is needed for the campaign."

"And the lot of you are feeling the same?" she asked. "Because the moment you all turn against me and my family, I will know. No longer will you think you're alone. We will  _always_  be watching you. Hmm?"

She looked down at Lyra running up to her to grab her leg. She bent down and lifted her up to get hugged. "Mama, um, why mad?"

"Because they made fun of me," Agatha said.

"Oh. They stupid?" she asked. Alex snickered.

"Very stupid," Agatha nodded. "But, why are you with me now?"

"Because you're mad," she whispered. Now Agatha felt her thoughts in the link and sighed, as she hugged her. Alex only nodded now. _Lyra got scared whenever her parents got mad. She didn't like seeing anyone mad. In time, it would be fine. It couldn't be done right now. Agatha had to show mercy this once._ As proof, she pulled her hair back to let it resettle.

"You all can thank my daughter for letting you live," Agatha growled. "In time, I will be seen along the surface. However, Robert is not my true husband. It is only an act. If I appear, I will be guarded. Heavily. And, if any of you interfere with me, or what needs to transpire, you will be killed without a second thought."

"Of course," Winston nodded. Marco and Geoffrey were quick to agree, too.

"Go," Perseus muttered to the cloned dog. With a huffing woof, the order was obeyed to return to Mortimer's side. The animal was now a personal spy. A fond caress was accepted, and they left. Tony did manage to collect his fish, but now his thoughts were filled with Agatha.  _She was completely stunning._ Now he was going to make plans to steal her away by any means necessary. He was only planning his own death.

"Keep an eye on him. Oh. Was the fish implanted with it?" Alex asked a cloaked scout.

"Yes. The bomb was implanted. Same with the dog," the drone nodded.

"Good. I'm sure the other items were, too?" he mused.

"The pipe has a micro detonator. Courtesy of Hypnos. The painting has something in the frame. The book is the same with the binding. And that wine bottle? Yes, it's in the bottle," the drone nodded. "All of the items are set for a single button push by Hypnos."

"Perfect. Now, I'm hungry," Agatha said regally. "Get those humans off my base. And, if they plot anything, destroy them."

"As you wish, my Empress," several drones said reverently and left.

"Now, I want to see my new items. And we'll let that other human have his other wine bottles. We should rig the safe with a bomb, too," she mused. This would be done easily, and she got swarmed by her kids to get hugged. None of them liked to see her angered now. It simply scared them all far too much than they wanted to admit.


	133. Chapter 133

A month later, Agatha was preparing for her grand entrance to be seen by the public eye at long last. Various top designer dresses were purchased and prepared for her. Isis was able to work on her makeup, and Sigyn helped with her jewelry. Lyra had become a stunning Italian beauty with her pitch-black hair and deep blue eyes. Her figure could have rivaled an exquisite porcelain statuette with how pale her skin was. Her body was simply superb, but Agatha would always outclass any of her children.

"Gemma, what do you think will happen?" Lyra asked with her sweet soprano tone.

"I don't know. But, it's exciting!" her sister giggled.

"Just by being able to get out of here is exciting," Perseus chuckled.

"I have no memories of what it's like up above," Andromeda sighed.

"Neither do I," Agatha smiled. "I only remember trying to track down your father. I have no real knowledge of where humans live. Only from what the drones and breeders tell me. I know nothing else. So, we will all learn together."

"I know some, but not much," Orion shrugged. Gemma now poked his sides to get him giggling and tickling her back. She snuggled into him and got a kiss to her forehead. He adored all of his sisters and would rip anything to shreds that tried to touch them. Perseus was the same way and accepted a snuggling hug by Andromeda. Agatha smiled softly and was shown a mirror to model the sleek, white gown she was now wearing. It molded to her form with the texture of soft stretch velvet. It accentuated her womanly assets neatly as the diamonds and pearls she wore that gave a perfect compliment to her figure.

"Do I have to wear heels?" she muttered and was forced to try and walk in the slender, white shoes. After a bit of balance, she got it down. "I would prefer sandals. Or military boots."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Mother," Isis smiled. Agatha sighed and looked over when Alex walked over to her. He pulled her close and kissed her passionately.

"Fucking cock blocking elections!" he growled and kissed her again. "Your mother and I are riding alone in our own limo. And our own submarine. Don't fucking argue, either."

"It's fine, Dad," Orion grinned.

"Alex," Agatha purred out softly to hear him growl. "Do you remember the first time you kissed me? Or have you forgotten?"

"Remember? Of course, I remember!" Alex smirked and led her to the submarine bay. Nick was already placing suitcases into the submarine. "You were sleeping and woke up to me putting my tongue down your throat."

"Oh. Yes. Of course," she seemed to mutter. Now he looked at her oddly. Thinking to himself, he pulled her into their room on the submarine and had her sit on the bed. Then he had her lay back and close her eyes.

"This was how I did it," he said and kissed her passionately. Her hands came up to caress his cheek, and he gazed at her with a soft smile.

"I know. I just...wish that I was awake for it. That's all," she sighed.

"Hera, I kiss you all the time now. What more is there for me to say?" he asked and pulled her close. Then he caught one of her thoughts.  _Now it all made sense to the sudden mood shift._ "Wait. You've been reading romance novels."

"No, I have not," she retorted. "I don't know. I just thought that it would be nice to remember some of it. I just wanted to know how you would have first approached me."

"Hera," he said again. "you have read a romance novel."

"Says who?" she frowned. Then he reached into a small case of her belongings and pulled a book out with a rather risqué cover. She sighed and rolled her eyes. When he started to open it, he noticed she had already creased a few corners of some points of interest. Now he looked at her with a raised brow. "What?! It's not porn!"

"No, but this shit makes me look bad now."

"Zeus..."

"No. Fuck this. You want romance? Solid romance?" he asked now. She seemed to cringe at him. "No, no. I'm serious. I don't want you reading that garbage. That is fake romance. It's not real romance. I am real. Not that shit."

"Sorry. I guess you just don't understand," she seemed to shrug. He thought and regarded her silently. He held up his hand to have her wait, and he walked out.

"Sorry, my Emperor," Nick sighed. "You can blame Isis."

"Oh?" Alex said and focused on Isis.  _:Thanks. Now your mother wants me to be a romantic. Good job.:_

_:What?!:_ Isis gasped in the link.  _:She just asked me for something other than a puzzle! I didn't know she'd actually get ideas!:_

_:Fine. You're telling the truth. But, now I'm fucked. I need to set up a romantic scene. So, Eros, you can talk now.:_ Alex nudged the King into a private conversation.

_:My Emperor, just because my name is that of a Roman sex god doesn't mean that I would...:_ Eros started. At the mental glare, he sighed.  _:Okay. I get it. This is what you do...:_

For ten minutes he listened intently. Nick now walked over to give him an arrival time. "We started moving, my Emperor. You have thirty minutes."

"Hmm. Get me a list of romantic places in New York. Restaurants. Dance halls. Wherever we can find. This is going to be her first time out in the public eye. I may as well spoil her. With her honor guard, of course," he mused. "You all may need to get some suits. Kim will need one of feminine dress."

"We have that taken care of. A few drones took over some clothing stores. We're covered," Nick chuckled. Alex nodded and checked the time. Then he blinked at the large, single red rose that Aden brought over in a small case.

"From Hypnos. A drone slipped it on the submarine for you," the drone nodded. Alex nodded and took it out of the case. He calmly walked into the bedroom, sat on the bed, and handed her the rose. This had her blink, and now he saw the blush.

"I'm sure that when we get on land you'll want to visit a few places. See a few sights. Don't worry. I'll have a nice list set up for you. You have my word," he grinned softly.

"And the kids?" she mused and accepted a kiss from him.

"I think they'll be adult enough to follow around and mind their own business," he chuckled. "Hmm. Damn. I'll need to dress appropriately on being with you. Won't I?"

"Well, if I'm dressed like this," she smiled. "it would only be fair."

"True. And I can't change my clothes. I don't want to change my face," he sighed and reclined on the bed to let her snuggle into him. At a knock on the door, he gave the mental consent to come in. Nick soon walked in with a small microscope slide.

"My Emperor, Hypnos would like you try this," the drone grinned. "He wanted me to wait on handing this over, but, in light of the circumstances, it's needed now. He feels that it may let you change your clothing by only consuming clothing."

"What?!" Alex blinked. Then he saw the three piece designer suit brought in. He looked at the slide and touched it. At the feel of his body evolving slightly, he now looked at the suit and found himself consuming it. His usual clothes now became the suit. "Okay. I can get used to this. Of course, I'll still wear my original clothes."

"You should have those as a primary backup. The new clothes you gain can now change out much like a human. You'll lose the suit if you go for another outfit. Hypnos felt you may like it," Nick smiled. As a test, he was able to change back into his original clothing before letting the suit return. He was very impressed. Alex sent out a beaming thought of appreciation to the King to reward him for his efforts. Now the other Kings were jealous, and Hypnos sent out a well-deserved sensation of smugness. Agatha was even delighted at this new change. At the heated kiss she gave him now, he found himself grinning and nuzzling into her neck.

"You wanted romance. You're going to be sick of it later," he grunted and pulled her close. "Oh. Robert is on another submarine. He has me enlisted as his Vice President. Fun shit, eh? I wanted Osiris to do it, but he's Commander John. He has to do things in the background."

"I would have thought that one of the Kings would have been up to the challenge. Like Epimetheus. I'm sure he wouldn't mind assisting you," she smiled.

"Nah. I'll do it. I have to make sure he doesn't kiss you," Alex growled. "Yes, I see him as a mild acquaintance now. But like fucking hell am I going to make him think that you're his actual wife. You are my wife. My mate. If he doesn't like it, tough shit. Hmm. The paparazzi is appearing. Ah! That's why he's on another submarine. It's to keep the heat off of us. So, he'll have Osiris, Isis, Hermanubis, and Sigyn with him. Thanatos is thinking about being a guard, too, but he still has to reach us. He thinks he'd make a good bouncer and assassin tracker. What are you thinking of?"

"We should have Thanatos be the Vice President with Tethys as his wife. You will be expected to have a wife. Let him be Vice President. If he's going to be here with her, then it may as well be done. You have shit that you need to do in the background with Osiris. It can't be helped. The kids will ensure that Robert doesn't do anything to me. I doubt he would in a public setting, anyways. Think about it. You can be my guard. My unseen protector," she said now and rested her arms around his shoulders.

At the hungry kiss he gave her now, he debated on dragging her back to their room. At the announcement that the New York port was in sight, he growled. "I am raping your ass in the limousine! Count on it!"

"Not very romantic, hmm?" she chuckled.

"I gave you plenty of romance just a bit ago. I'm romanced out until we go somewhere," he smirked. She laughed at that, but she was still holding the rose. He waited for the submarine to dock, and the hatch opened. Nick and her elite drone escort were quick to surround her in their own suits, shades, and fake communicator ear pieces. At the way the news teams were all surrounded around Robert, he knew the drone that bore his form had made an excuse that it was mildly called away to an undersea expedition. It was supposed to be top secret, but it let that bit of information loose on purpose.

Once Agatha stepped out with a small smile, there was a wave of silent shock at her unearthly beauty. Robert grinned, walked over to her and hugged her.

"Glad you could make it, dear. Our ride awaits," he nodded.

"Fucking fuckers," Alex muttered under his breath, as he glared at the gaping males. Agatha just gave a throaty chuckle and followed Robert to the waiting limo. Her escort got in after she did. Her kids were able to get in next. "Why the fucking full house?!"

"There was no other limo," Orion shrugged. There were a wave of drone soldiers keeping the reporters back now and ignoring questions. Alex let his mate press into him, as he muttered to himself. The kiss she shared with him next easily calmed him.

"Children, when we are in the public eye, you may need to swarm Robert as though he is your father. You'll be protecting him this way, too," Agatha said.

"I can do that!" Andromeda beamed. Robert laughed softly and found her moving to his side to rest against him. "I see you like another dad, anyways."

"Good to know," Robert smiled and kissed her forehead. He saw her as a daughter, too.

"Alex? What's wrong?" Agatha frowned at his brooding look.

"I don't like you being exposed," he sighed. Then he noticed the driver. "And he's not one of us. Orion, talk to him."

"Okay," his son grinned and knocked lightly on the divider glass. What he got was a gun pointing at him now. Alex grinned savagely at this. It was missed by the driver.

"This whole party is going down! Nobody move! Just sit back, and you'll all be fine." the driver snarled. Then Agatha gave a small smile. Gemma watched a tentacle of hair easily slip over and dart into the small window to strangle the driver. Another set of tentacles moved to hit the brake and guide the car to the side of the road. Osiris chuckled and watched one of the drones following the limousine reach in to take him over.

"Fucking Tony," Alex sighed at the memories given. "Hmm. Let's go say hello to him."

"What?" Robert asked.

"He was expecting us. Or, he was expecting you," Alex said and looked at his mate. "This guy was planning to execute all of us and take you to him."

"Then I mustn't keep him waiting," she said darkly. Lyra seemed to frown, but then she burst into giggles of laughter when she found herself getting poked and tickled by Agatha's hair. "Then again...maybe another idea..."

"Hmm?" Alex asked.

"Tip off the reporters to where he is," Agatha grinned wickedly. Robert howled with laughter, as the calls were made out. The usually aloof man wasn't going to be so aloof anymore. Not after being labeled as a black marketer and a private election funder. Another ten minutes of driving brought them to their destination. It was a very elaborate restaurant, and various guards belonging to Tony were already pushing back the eager reporters. Tony was already inside, so no pictures were placed of him yet. But, even reporters were ruthless to get their stories.

"No comment!" a man scowled and pushed away a camera. When the kids came out first, many were in shock at how perfect they looked. It was almost like a red carpet gathering. Robert came out next and got embraced by the girls. They were playing out on being his daughters. As pictures were snapped away, Gemma showed her distaste.

"Your cameras are disturbing my kids," Robert glowered at the reporters.

"Kids? Oh! I thought they were your escort service. It would have made a great story. Do you think we can still roll with it?" a man asked. At the dark look Robert gave him now, Andromeda reported to her mother in the link.

"You are disgusting!" Agatha spat at the man when she came out when she left the limo. "They are my children with him! You fucking perverted freak!"

"They look nothing like him! Or you! Um...who are you?" the man asked and thrust up a microphone into her face. As much as the other reporters wanted to get their interviews with her, she ignored them all. She was focused on the one that slandered her daughters.

"I am Agatha. Robert's wife," she muttered. "And you are now a target."

The man paled at the chilling glare she gave him. Alex already sent the message to the hive.  _The moment the man was alone, he would be consumed._  The vibe she gave off was someone not to cross. At the small glare she gave the other humans, they found themselves backing off quickly. Robert nodded to her and got a warm smile in return. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and guided her into the restaurant with the others. Nick gave a snort, and the elite drones now moved through the building to inspect it. Scouts were already infiltrating it. When Osiris appeared as Commander John with Isis as Lynette, he simply waved at the crowd calmly and followed the others in.

"Brought your own party?" Alex grinned at the sight of several drones in soldier guise appearing. Osiris only confirmed with a slight nod.

"It wouldn't be like John, if I didn't," he muttered. He pinched Isis's rear when she passed him to hear her squeak. "And I'd have her under the table, but that might draw attention. Maybe. It would be a nice idea..."

"Fuck you," Alex warned to get a grin in return.

"Look at the table cloth on these tables! It could work," he shrugged.

"I will kick your ass, if you end up fucking at the same table I'm eating at," Alex growled. That got Osiris chuckling and nodding. Agatha looked over with an odd smirk. "No. I will not attempt anything. Don't even think about it."

"Oh?" she smiled. "When just a bit ago you wanted to rape my ass in the limousine?"

"That was before we had a full car," he mumbled. She laughed softly and soon found herself in front of Tony's table in the center of a small room. It was a private room for wealthy individuals, and no others were there. This had them all highly amused. Robert sensed no cameras or bugs, either. Tony was sipping a glass of red wine when he looked up. At first, Tony was in shock at how many his driver brought him. Then the human went completely speechless at Agatha's beauty in the sleek, white gown of stretch velvet.

"Do tell me," Agatha said when she got seated at the rounded table. "Why did your driver pull a gun on me and my family?"

"What?" Tony blinked.

"He did. And he got killed for it. I was the one that killed him," she said with a cold glare. "You are now an enemy. So, enjoy your meal. It's going to be your last one."

Tony's mouth went dry. At the feel of a tentacle of hair giving a vicious poke at an ankle, he yelped and backed out of his chair.

"You forgot what she was already?" Robert frowned.

"No! I mean...well..." Tony winced.

"It looks like you'll be helping us later, after all," she mused. Her children just glanced at each other and smiled knowingly. At the sight of Lyra, Tony was shocked.  _Just last month, she was a child._  Lyra got hugged protectively by Osiris and Orion.

"Stop staring at my daughter," Alex said now. Tony paled even more. He didn't recognize Alex in his new finery. "You know what? Fuck this. I'm sick of this shit."

"Darling?" Agatha frowned.

"You were right. He's a piece of shit," Alex growled. A couple soldier drones were now accompanied by a different drone to pull Tony into the back of the room.

"Wait! Please!" Tony panicked.

"Why? You'll just pull this shit again. I'm done with it. Take his blood and kill him," Alex ordered. "You had one chance. You fucked up. Done."

A cloth was clamped over Tony's mouth, as blood was pulled before a drone took him over. At how the drone bearing his form came over to sit at the table and lightly sip the wine, Agatha beamed with appreciation. His cat and cloned fish were already being claimed. It was the same with his home. A breeder pair would likely take over the home as tenants and aquarium care-givers. Now the rest of the hive looked into the other dark council members.

"Geoffrey needs to be visited," Hermanubis said when he sat down. He was playing out on being a security guard with Sigyn. "Thanatos will meet us at his place with Tethys. He's interested in being Vice President."

"Good. And you're still holding that rose?" Alex muttered to his mate. She blushed softly at his warm smile. He had a drone take the rose from her to place in a vase of water and to keep safe. When a dozen roses now appeared for her, she only found herself blushing even more. He chuckled, shared a kiss with her, and finally regarded Hermanubis to nod. "Find out where he lives. We'll take the campaign to his front door."

"He's not far off, actually. Just ten miles east," the breeder male said. "We can stop by his place. In fact, all of these guys live in New York. They had to make themselves available when needed. Figures, right?"

"Interesting," Alex muttered. The roses were now taken away to be set up in the submarine room. He promised his mate that he was going to romance her to pieces. He was keeping his word. When the waiter appeared to take orders, the drone bearing Tony's form ordered a usual meal and tossed a credit card on the menu to pay for the meal when it was done. It was what the human always did.

"Tip the usual. And I'm covering for them," the drone drawled out perfectly. The waiter nodded and took the other orders from the rest. When the appetizers appeared, Agatha found fried mozzarella sticks a new favorite. The food that was delivered now was quickly demolished. Kim was now learning some new techniques from the scout drones in the kitchen. Any high class restaurant was now going to have their kitchens studied intensely.

"So, where are we going now?" Agatha asked, as they left the restaurant. Once again, drone soldiers helped keep reporters back. She gave a mild look at the reporters and spotted one in the crowd. There was something off about the young girl she saw. The drones were quick to pick up on this and would find the young woman later.

"Who did you see?" Alex asked, as he reclined in the plush leather seat.

"There was a girl I saw with the reporters. A young woman. She felt...different," Agatha said. "As though she didn't really want to be there."

"Oh?" Orion thought. "Mom, can I check her out?"

"When we bring her to us," Agatha nodded.

"No. I should go and meet her face to face. You can have some drones with me," he said. Now Alex gave an odd look. "Sorry, Dad. I just...it's interesting to me."

"Okay. You can go. Just remember, don't fuck with me," Alex warned.

"Scout's honor!" Orion grinned and flashed his white teeth. Andromeda got a squeeze, as well as his other sisters. "Perseus, you're the new protector."

"Aww..." his brother gave a mocking scowl. Orion chuckled and hopped back out of the limousine. When it sped off, several drones moved to walk around him casually. He waited for the crowd of reporters to disperse before deciding to make his move. Sensing the air, he found where the girl was helping to pack up the news van.

"Hello! Ah, would you like a private interview with me? I'm Robert Harrison's son, Orion. Are you interested?" he asked in his gruff, yet smooth tone. The girl looked up and her jaw seemed to drop. She was slender in the gray dress suit she wore. Her honey-colored hair was brushed off to the side and came up in pretty wave along her shoulders. Her green eyes were simply wide with surprise.

"Mellony, we have to go," an older reporter said. He looked like the usual man with slicked back brown hair, glasses and a suit. "Oh. Who are you?"

"Orion. The oldest son of Robert Harrison," Orion said. When the man moved to get the cameraman and various gears, several drones stopped him from opening up the back of the van and making calls. "Sorry, I said a private interview. Just her. No others."

"That's not possible. She's still in training," the man said.

"I am not! Don't use that excuse with me!" she snapped. Then she blinked with a sudden realization. "Is that what you've been telling everyone in order to steal my stories?! Oooh! Now I know why you insist on bringing me along! Yeah, I get it. I tend to find the most interesting stories. Then I have to wonder why my name isn't on the main page when I find yours there instead! It's why I hate traveling with you!"

"I'll give her an exclusive so you can't take all the credit," Orion grinned knowingly.

"What?! You can't prove anything!" the man flushed.

"Oh, shut up, Mark! You always know that I get the hottest scoops, and you always keep me with you to take the credit!" she finally snapped at him again. "I'm done putting up with it!"

"You have no connections. You wouldn't even know what to do with the story," the man smirked. Then he blinked at how Orion's form seemed to waver. It took all of his focus to keep the tendrils in from killing him.

"Now I'm just pissed," Orion growled. "Take her with us. Kill him. Remove the evidence. Let's go."

"What?! I don't want him dead!" Mellony gasped. He was acting in a way that Alex would have. His father was pleased. Orion grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her close.

"I like you. I want you to meet my parents. Do you have a family?" he asked. She found her cheeks flushing crimson.  _This guy looked like he could have walked out of a fashion magazine._ She was simply speechless.

"I do have family," she swallowed. "but they don't live in New York."

"That's fine. I'll meet them later," he smiled in a rather dashing way.

"I don't even know you! And you're already thinking of..." she started and found herself silenced by the kiss he gave her now. At how she responded to him, she already felt a connection to him. She simply couldn't explain it.

"We'll work out the details later," he muttered and gazed at her. "You are the one I want. Come on. I'll introduce you to my family."

"But...my job..." she whispered. She was in too much shock at what was going on.

"Fuck it. You don't like it. And I'm rich. I'll take care of you," he grinned. She looked over at the news van and the speechless reporter. Sighing, she took off her news badge from around her neck and walked over to the vehicle.

"What are you doing?" Mark asked.

"Apparently, I'm getting to know the son of a wealthy family. You can keep this job and shove it up your ass. I'm done. As in, I quit. Tell that to the bosses. Get your own stories by manipulating someone else," she smiled sweetly and grabbed her purse. Then she tossed the badge in the van and walked back over to Orion.

"You'll be much happier with me. I promise. And don't worry about your things. I'll make sure you get them from the news station," Orion chuckled. Then he gave a small glance at Mark. "She doesn't want me to kill you. That doesn't mean that I won't have my guys watching your every move. My Dad is a top-ranking military man. The moment I say that you were fucking around with my new fiancé's job, he'll send guards to shove things up your ass faster than you can pick up your next camera. Don't fuck with me. Don't fuck with my family."

"You'll regret leaving the team!" Mark hollered at Mellony.

"Funny. I don't regret anything right now," she shrugged. Orion whispered softly in her ear, and she found herself stammering. "Um...I think I need to get to know you better first..."

"Plenty of time later. Right?" Orion grinned a touch wickedly.

"It's just...not my way..." she whispered and got kissed again. Mark was completely ignored. "I'm used to being taken out first. A few dates..."

"I'm not that patient," Orion chuckled. "You'll figure that out."

"I think I already have," she said and gasped at how he pulled her closer.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of you now," he vowed and looked at the luxury limousine that appeared for them now. "Excellent! Take care of him. And take me to my parents."

"Yes, Sir," the drone driver nodded. Once the limousine was out of the way, the drones came out of hiding to take care of the meddling reporter. Orion was busy getting to know his new mate. As much as he wanted her, something was telling him that he couldn't touch her yet. Then he realized that she needed his mother's blood. As an instinct, he knew it wasn't safe to breed with her yet.  _That nothing would happen._ This bit of insight was now pushed into the hive link. A shot of blood would be ready for him the moment he met up with the others.


	134. Chapter 134

"My Emperor," Thanatos said when he met with Alex outside of Geoffrey's town home. "Tethys isn't too far off. She's being guarded with her stud."

"Good," Alex nodded. "Do we know where this fuck up is?"

"Funny you should ask. He's on a phone call right now. Want to listen in?" Thanatos grinned wickedly and handed over an ear piece. "Sure, we could have drones listen in, but we want both sides of the conversation."

"True," Alex nodded and put on the ear bud. As he listened in to the conversation, his face darkened. "Okay. This guy is fucking nuts. He's also planning an attempt to kill us. He's talking to someone about it right now. An assassin."

"Are you serious?!" Agatha gaped. At the furious wave of swearing she gave out now, her kids all took a step back. Then she calmed down and looked at Robert. "Ring his doorbell."

"Are you sure?" Robert asked. At her nod, he cleared his throat and pressed in on the ornate button. Alex heard the conversation on the tapped phone pause, but then it kept going. Robert rang the bell again with a sharp knock to follow. As they waited, the limousine bearing Orion and Mellony showed up. His sisters quickly fawned over his chosen mate, and the poor girl was overwhelmed. Agatha finally put her foot down and walked over to calm the situation.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Agatha. Orion is my son. My dear, how much did you tell her about us?" she asked her son.

"Oh. Ah, not much, really," Orion admitted. Isis clucked her tongue at him.

"I'll talk to her," Osiris chuckled. "She does know that she'll be, possibly, leaving this place behind in full, right?"

"What?" Mellony blinked. Now she looked at Orion, and he sighed.

"Sorry. I was so...caught up in being with you..." he frowned. She leaned into him now to show she understood. "There's...a lot about me...my family...that you need to know."

"Well, I think I'll be okay as long as you're with me," she smiled.

"My family is very bizarre. But, they are likable," Orion chuckled.

"One chance," Alex growled.

"Stop it!" Agatha muttered. "If our son trusts her, then I will trust her, too."

"Your son? I thought Robert was..." Mellony blinked.

"I only play out being Robert's wife," Agatha chuckled. "My real husband is Alex Mercer. He's the Blacklight Virus, Project Zeus. You could say that I'm his antivirus. They called me Project Hera. However, shit went down, and I'm with him now."

"He's...um..." Mellony paled with shock. Orion squeezed her to show he was protecting her. On looking up at him, she lost all form of doubts. "You'll protect me?"

"Always," Orion nodded and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, I'm a bit of a byproduct of him, too. I was normal once, but my parents abandoned me. All because I can see ghosts."

"They...what assholes!" Mellony said with dismay. He grinned softly and nodded.

"And, technically, I'm only twelve years old," he grinned even more. Now her jaw dropped in full. "Yeah. Mom's blood enhanced my growth. Agatha, to you. She adopted me in full when she saw me. A shot of blood also makes it so I can't get sick. When I became an adult in just a few days, Dad gave me a piece of himself. Don't worry. You won't have to get anything from him. Just a shot of Mom's blood to keep you healthy around us. Quick and painless. We can even get it done now."

"Okay. Um, a shot now? Ah, I don't know..." she said. "It's all way over my head..."

"I'll explain in depth to you. And, if Mother's pissed off, we may just end up waiting out here. We'll talk in the limo," Osiris said. Then he saw Hermanubis.

"You let me talk to her. You may be needed as Commander John," the breeder male said. "When Father can talk to her, he will. And Robert is my Father, Mellony. Just so you know. And there are a lot more of my kind than Orion's brother and sisters. They're kinda new."

"Okay," Mellony said with a small nod. She was still trying to make sense of it. Orion escorted her into the limo to be safely away from the ensuing carnage. His brother and sisters joined easily. Thanatos was going to ensure that everything went according to plan. Agatha now mused at something and looked at her son. Thanatos regarded her quickly.

"You were to be given the Egyptian base, weren't you?" Agatha asked.

"True. I didn't really decorate it yet. I could give the base over to another King. Epimetheus and Eos could claim it. I find myself too active to stay in a base," Thanatos chuckled. "I can hand the base over to them."

"Do it," Alex nodded. The switch was done quickly. Now that Thanatos was clear to have Tethys and her stud around, he felt a lot better. Then Alex looked at him. "Remember. Don't touch your mother. Got it?"

"Understood," Thanatos nodded calmly. Tethys had soon appeared at his side to hug him close. He knew that her stunning beauty couldn't be held to compare with Agatha, but Tethys was his mate. As long as she was with him then he was fine.

_:My King.:_ Lelantos said to Alex directly.  _:Can I also join in the hunt?:_

_:Fine. Pick something to become. Have your mate with you with her stud. Don't fuck with me at any given time. And don't touch your mother. Those are the rules.:_ Alex said calmly.

_:I agree. Who can I look into?:_ He asked with a form of eagerness.

_:Look into the lead one with the dog. Mortimer.:_ Alex smirked. When he got a nudge from Cronus, he gave a mild, mental glare.  _:What?:_

_:I should do something, too. As first King, I need to.:_ He said.

_:Fine. You are not allowed to leave your base, though. Send out your scouts to check on the other three. The one with the pipe, the fat one with the book, and the old one with the painting. Find out what they are doing. If you can't handle it, then you suck at being a King.:_ Alex poked the jibe right at him. Cronus growled to show he would handle it in full. Alex grinned a touch and let Agatha come up to him to cuddle into his back.

"Cronus is jealous?" she grinned softly.

"He's a pain in the ass. And this fucker is taking too long to answer the door," Alex growled.  _:Find out what is taking this asshole so long!:_

Thanatos nodded and had a scout drone check in on the phone tap.  _The line was dead. No movement was heard in the house._ Thanatos did not want to be denied his prey. He looked at Alex with a raised brow at what to do. Osiris and Isis glanced at each other with small shrugs.

"I think it's time to break down the door," Agatha muttered out. Robert backed away, and Thanatos kicked it in. They rushed upstairs to find Geoffrey in a fetal position over a bottle of pills he tried to swallow. He was trying to kill himself.

"Pathetic," Alex growled. Agatha now moved to look into the man's eyes, as he convulsed in pain to regard him.

"So, you try to use an act of cowardice to escape your fate? How quaint to know," she purred, and a tendril of hair moved to lightly caress under his jaw. "Don't worry. We'll find the man you commissioned. We'll take care of him, too. And...as for you..."

"The vials for blood are here," Nick said and got them filled quickly. Then Agatha grinned, as her hair moved to kill the human off. Just before he died, a drone took him over painfully. With this little nuisance out of the way, the drone was already set to start acting the part. Memories were sent over quickly, and the violating medication was eradicated within its body. She smiled at a job well done and was escorted out of the house.

"Disgustingly easy," Thanatos muttered.

"What did you expect?" Alex chuckled at him. "Humans are stupid."

"How far off is Mortimer?" Agatha asked.

"An hour's drive," Nick said.

"Let's go see him next," she smiled. When Robert sighed, she frowned at him.

"We have a place to be at for an election vote first. We can go find him after that is seen to. And don't pout," Robert chuckled at her. She stuck her tongue out at him to make him laugh at her. They got into another waiting limo to see about how to approach the coming election.

"What do we know about the schmuck you're up against?" Alex asked.

"Cut and dry Republican. The usual," Robert shrugged. Osiris was relaying what information he could from any military files. Isis simply let her mate do what he needed to do, as he held her against him.

"He had some congress runs, but nothing major," Osiris said from what he found out. "If anything, he's just a running lackey to put someone in office."

"We should just kill him. Take him over," Alex grunted.

"Then where's the fun?" Thanatos chuckled. "We'd just be arguing with ourselves."

"Better than listening to some human raise a voice over nothing," Agatha sighed. Alex grinned at that and pulled her close to nuzzle her.

"Don't worry. I'm sure I'll be fucking him over the moment he approaches you," he muttered in her ear and kissed her. She giggled softly and kissed him back.

"How would you kill him?" she murmured and nuzzled under his ear.

"Drawn and quartered. Skewered on a pike, even," he muttered and kissed her again.

"Slow roasted?" she purred out softly. Alex glanced over at Thanatos trying not to pay attention. Tethys was quick to catch the glance and helped to keep her mate under control. Osiris was, thankfully, a touch immune to this now. Isis easily helped keep his mind focused.

"I need to get out of the car," Thanatos muttered.

"If you can't tolerate her now, you will never tolerate her," Alex said with a growl. "Bear it. You agreed to do this. You will have to travel in close quarters with her. Focus on something else. You have to."

"I know," Thanatos winced. Tethys rested her hand on his cheek to let him connect with her scent. Agatha's scent was starting to overpower Tethys's scent.

"Thanatos, snap out of it!" Agatha finally snapped at him. Now the instinct that he upset her kicked in, and his resolve strengthened. She curled her lip back at him with disgust at his weakness. His resolve pushed even further. This was what she was going to have to do to any Kings that traveled with them. She had to show them that they were weak, if they started to lose control. It would be instinctive for them to impress her. "Maybe you should sit on the roof."

"I'll be fine, Mother," Thanatos chuckled and kissed Tethys softly. Her stud could only sigh with relief. He was one of the Japanese soldiers that had agreed to help them. When the limo started to slow up, they realized that it was traffic backup. "Odd. I thought we were given clearance for this shit. Why is there traffic?"

"Find out," Alex growled. Thanatos nodded and sent a word to the hive. The drones in the area were quick to find out the problem. "Fuck. Why are fucking protesters out on the main highway?! Fucking get rid of them!"

"Protesters?" Agatha blinked. "For what?"

"What do you think? This fucking campaign!" he snarled. "I should waste the lot of them! Fucking ridiculous!"

"How did they even get there?" Isis asked now. "Hmm. Oh. They kept dodging traffic to cause the cars to slow down. Then they simply let the cars move until our cars were seen. Determined little shits, huh?"

"Hunter fodder, if that," Thanatos snorted. Agatha was simply not amused.

_:My children, I grow weary of this. Please resolve this issue. Now.:_ Agatha said with a silent order into the hive link. Her children now swarmed to do her bidding. At the sound of news vans starting to roll in from the hive drones in soldier guises attempting to clear traffic, she growled with complete discontent.

"Just stay in the car. Keep the windows rolled up," Osiris said calmly. "The windows are heavily tinted. They can't see us."

"I don't think that I like the surface very much," Agatha said softly and pressed into her mate. "It's too crowded. Too busy. Too noisy. Yeah, it's nice to be out...but like this..."

"I know," Alex said and kissed her forehead.  _:Your mother is getting highly stressed. If she snaps, she'll be slaughtering humans next. Fix the fucking problem!:_

_:We're trying, my King. It's not that easy with so many about. We'll be exposed.:_ Hypnos grimaced.  _:And these reporters ignore orders just to get that 'big story'. They risk life and limb to do what they can. Remember Fadil?:_

_:True. What does he think of this?:_ Alex mused now.

_:If he was still a reporter, he would be joining them!:_ Fadil's mate laughed. Agatha could only laugh with Seshat now.  _:Something like this would be too good to pass up.:_

_:Well, this is only starting to annoy me. Is there anything he can think of that could push them away? Or are we doomed?:_ Agatha sighed.

_:A chance to catch an imbalance in the elections? This is the biggest story of a lifetime! No reporter would miss it. I am sorry, Mother.:_ Seshat sighed with her. Agatha was clearly getting more and more irritable. When the limousine began to move again, she muttered and watched the different humans trying to gain access to the limo. Everything seemed to start moving smoothly, but one of the protesters threw a can of yellow paint at the windshield. Now Agatha was furious at this report.

"Great. They're all fucked," Alex sighed.

"Stop the car!" Agatha snarled out. Robert wasn't planning on stopping her. He simply couldn't. Osiris wasn't making any plans to let him out. Isis was the same way. When she stepped out of the limousine to assess the damage herself, the protesters in the sidelines of the highway were struck dumb by her beauty. "Who threw the can of paint? I need to know."

"Honey, get back in the car, please," Robert said to up the acting.

"No. This has gone on long enough!" she said. "I don't have time for games anymore!"

"You're his wife? Wow! I didn't know whores got so lucky!" a man sneered.

_:Kill any live feeds! Now!:_ Alex snarled through the link. Osiris felt the rage his mother gave off in the link at the insult. The entire hive mind shivered with a touch of awe and fear. _The Empress was about to go on a killing spree._ Her last reserve of control finally snapped. Aten and Hemsut were quick to jam up the satellites to cut the live feeds from all over. Now they had a short block of time to do what they wanted to do. And the drones were swift.

"So, you were the one that threw the paint?" Agatha asked the insulter.

"Nope. It doesn't matter. You're just another whore for the government," the man snickered. He was wearing a crude shirt and pants set with sandals. His beard looked rather dirty, and he likely hadn't showered in days. When he saw her hair come alive, his face went white with complete shock.

"I'm not with the government. They made me. I rebelled against them. And now, I get to kill you for your insult," she smirked and let her hair launch out in all directions. Mellony watched in sheer horror from the safety of her limo. Orion was just grimacing at everything.

"Mom is very scary when she's pissed," Perseus swallowed.

"No kidding," Andromeda whispered. Lyra and Gemma could only hug each other, as Hermanubis and Sigyn guarded them. Any human that didn't get slaughtered was claimed by a drone. She saved the insulter for last, though.

"I am going to enjoy this," she grinned savagely in her echoed, ethereal, dulcet tone. Alex was soon out of the limo to stand at her side, as she ripped the human's limbs out slowly.

"We're running out of time, Hera. Finish it off," he muttered in her ear and got a gentle caress by a free tendril of hair. At her small pout, he whispered softly to her to hear her giggle. Sighing, she launched a tentacle to go straight through the human's open, screaming jaw and rip him apart. The drones were able to use a solution to dissolve blood the moment it hit the ground, and more of this chemical would need to be made. They were just lucky that most of the road was blocked off for the special cars to transport Robert as a government official.

Phones were confiscated, looked through, and had pictures removed. Cameras with film running were expertly erased. The drones picked over everything with their finely tuned senses before giving the all clear for the satellites to come back online. The reporters were all now drones that were there. If any had families, it was decided to see how far they could go before the drones were forced to kill themselves off.

What they didn't know of was the reporting helicopter that was circling the area. The people on board caught the whole thing. As it began to move off, a scout drone heard the hasty retreat and reported it. Alex was not happy.

_:Follow those fuckers!:_ He spat out.

_:My Emperor, they may have already sent out the information of what happened. It was inevitable. However, I will have a few drones infiltrate where the helicopter is based. I'll botch the videos up as much as I can. Besides, at this point, does it really matter?:_ Hypnos asked.

_:It does. Your mother was not to be exposed yet. Find out where the helicopter is going. Confiscate it. Find out if anything was broadcasted from it.:_ He ordered.

_:My Emperor, Mellony says that she recognizes the markings on the helicopter. We told her it was blue and white with a splash of red. It came from her old job.:_ Osiris said.  _:I have drone soldiers taking over the building now. I am also having her belongings collected.:_

_:Good. If something does leak out about Agatha, then the elections are fucked. Maybe it's best that something does get out. Forceful take over is better than playing by the rules.:_ Alex smirked. "And you got blood on your gown."

"It's not mine. I don't care," she muttered. There was quite a bit of speckling all over it, but Nick did bring a spare gown just in case. "Where are the others? Robin and the rest of my group? Did they not come?"

"They did. They're riding motorcycles around us," Nick chuckled and was able to help shield her, as she changed quickly. When they finally reached their destination, Osiris was in his form of Commander John to explain why the limousine had yellow paint on it, as well as other key details. The officials in charge of the campaign were floored.

"Don't let this happen again," Osiris warned in his guise. "Anyways, Robert is ready to go on. We have other engagements after this."

"Are we ready to go live?" one operator asked.

"Yes. We will be live and on schedule in less than five minutes," another said. Robert was cleaned up and made presentable. When Agatha was able to finally make her appearance, all movement seemed to stop when everyone stared at her. Then her children showed up.

"Do well, dear," Agatha smiled and hugged Robert. He kissed her cheek to show he wasn't going to do anything indecent in public, and to show he was respecting her. Alex would have killed him, anyways, if he tried.

"I will," he chuckled. "Just sit off to the sides."

"I know," she nodded. "Come, children."

"Yes, Mom!" Perseus grinned. Her daughters giggled and followed her.

"Who's...?" the operator asked.

"My wife. Don't touch her. She'll kill you faster than I can," Robert warned. That had the man swallow. "And I'm not making it up."

"Right!" the man nodded and moved off quickly. Agatha's personal entourage was already protecting her from other humans that tried to get in close to her personal space. Tethys was soon sitting with her when Thanatos moved to make his debut speech with Robert. False papers and background information was already expertly set up for him for anyone that tried to glean any information about him. An hour later, they were back in a fresh limousine and laughing over everything.

"Some of those questions were just redundant!" Alex smirked when he was informed what was done in the hive link.

"Yes, I know. But, we can only answer to what the populace wants. Anyways, Mortimer's place is next, right?" Robert asked.

"Yes. We are going there now," Alex muttered and nodded. He had been busy tracking where the helicopter was going while the elections were happening. Aten was able trace any signals that emitted from the helicopter and garble them. The tactic worked for now. They still had the camera feeds that were locked in the helicopter files. "We should blow it up."

"Blow what up?" Agatha asked.

"That helicopter," he grumbled. She pressed a kiss to his mouth and smiled.

"I think it would be rather fun to see how I look killing humans. So, I want to see the footage first. Then we'll decide what to do with it. Okay?" she chuckled. Alex could only muse at this. Now he was curious as to watching her perform from above.

"Okay. You win this round," he said.

"I win quite a few, don't I?" she smirked and kissed him softly. "After this next place, what's the plan?"

"We'll have some down time, actually. About a couple of days," Robert said.

"He's right. We should be heading to the next place, but, when we get there, we'll have some time to relax," Isis chuckled and checked the schedule.

"Think you can pop a hundred drones out of me by then?" Agatha muttered to her mate. He growled and trembled. "It would be nice to leave some fresh drones around."

"Very true," he muttered and kissed her heavily. "This is fucking torture!"

"How do you think I feel?" she mumbled and gasped at the mild groping he did. Thanatos had decided to travel in the other limo with Tethys. He was glad that he did. At the sexual strain that Agatha was emitting, it was even taxing on Osiris.

"Behave," Alex growled and nipped her neck. "We're almost at our destination. If you're still pissed off about earlier, then you can show it if he fucks up. Don't worry. I'm sure they all know that their lives are forfeit after fucking with us."

"I'm sure of it, too," she smiled and kissed him deeply. At the small groan she gave, Osiris cleared his throat. Robert casually kicked his ankle to help him.

"Ow! Oh. Thanks, Father," Osiris sighed and gave a small shrug.

"That was kinda fun. I'll kick you again later," Robert grinned. At the glare he got now, Robert only laughed at him. Isis held back her laughter. Agatha smiled and shook her head with a small laugh. Nick just grinned at what was going on. The drone would always insist to be with her to protect her. It was another twenty minute ride to their destination. In the limousine with the kids, Mellony had finally agreed to getting a shot of blood.

"You're sure?" Orion asked gently.

"Yeah. I mean, if my family is going to be unharmed, then I'll be okay with it. I don't know if I want my family to join yours, though. I do have a lot of siblings. My family is Mormon, so I have a big family," she smiled. "I wasn't very religious, though."

"It's fine. I'll make sure to meet with them in time. I'm sure they'll enjoy me," Orion chuckled. At the gaze he gave her now, she lost herself in his eyes as the shot was given over. "And the shot is done. How do you feel?"

"What?! I didn't feel a thing!" she blinked.

"Just don't say that about him when the time comes," Perseus grinned. That got a scalding glare given back to him. The other girls laughed, and even Hermanubis cracked a grin. Once Agatha's blood settled in Mellony's system, Orion gave a carefully controlled breath of restraint. He clearly wanted her now.

"So, do you plan to do anything when we finally get to a hotel?" Gemma grinned.

"I should. I'll request a private room," Orion muttered. Mellony blushed.

"Um, I may want to get married first," she said.

"We are married. As of right now," he said and kissed her passionately.

"My family...would want a wedding..." she whispered and got kissed again.

"Get a room, you two!" Andromeda snickered.

"Shut up!" Orion scowled at her to get her laughing.

"I am serious, though. They would want us to get married. They like to celebrate such events," Mellony frowned. "They had me vow up and down before I moved out that I would do such a thing for them before attempting anything."

"Well, if you vowed about it," Orion mused. "Not sure if we can wait on anything else, but, well, maybe we can work in a wedding."

"Just say you eloped and have a mild ceremony," Lyra smiled. "People do that every day. It should be fine."

"Not with my family. They want full, blown out mega wedding," Mellony sighed.

"You know, if you want to really blow them away, we could do a million dollar wedding. That's easy," Hermanubis grinned. Sigyn beamed at the idea and sent it to the hive link. "Hmm. Mother is amused. And our Emperor is just groaning with disbelief."

"Likely because Mom finds it something she would want to be a part of," Andromeda giggled. "He's going to have to go for it."

"We'll all get to play dress up," Perseus shrugged.

"Okay, we need to figure out wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses!" Gemma chimed in. Orion now gave the same groan of disbelief that Alex did just a moment before. He was definitely more like Alex than he knew.


	135. Chapter 135

When they got to Mortimer's estate, the drones were ready to let them in secretly. Lelantos was already there in the guise of a gardener. His Queen, Gaia, was born from Menhit and George. She was as slender and lethal as he was. She had inherited her mother's brown hair and had it tied back. Her mother's steel grey eyes were also apparent and only seemed to enhance her lethal tendencies that much more. Her stud was another Japanese soldier, and he was an expert at sniping down targets. Agatha's blood made him even more accurate, and he was hiding just beyond eyeshot ready to protect his Queen and King.

"They're here," Lelantos grinned. She smiled and brushed back a lock of black hair away from his blue eyes. He kissed her gently and squeezed her. "As eager as I am for the hunt? Are you as ready as I?"

"If there is nothing to hunt, then I'll gladly hunt you down," she smiled and kissed him. He gave a small growl and would hold her to it. He watched the limousine appear with Alex and Agatha, and he made his way over calmly. She was disguised as a housemaid and was acting like she was straightening up the patio furniture. He even feigned some mild yard work, as he walked over. Agatha noticed this and wrinkled her nose with disgust.

"Stop that. Both of you," Agatha said when she got out of the limousine. "You are both King and Queen. Do not do such chores."

"It is only for disguise, Mother," Lelantos chuckled. "Do you think I would actually stoop so low to do manual labor? I kick things under the bushes!"

"Oh. Then I approve," Agatha chuckled. Alex smirked at this and watched Robert step out next. "Alex, I'm getting various chatters that the specialized breeders are done waiting for Queens and Kings to grow up. They are getting anxious."

"Oh?" Alex thought and focused on the link.  _:Okay. Enough time did pass, so,_ I guess _you all can start fucking again. However, if you still have a kid that's a day short of getting a Queen or King, then they will have to wait until your mother and I get back. Unless the drones are able to help get the new eggs currently waiting into another chamber with the help of Dionysus or Apollo. They are from the first brood, so they rule the roost in our stead. Just remember! If there are new Queens and Kings that bond, they_ have to leave _the nest! Let them make their first breeders and drones before leaving, as always. And, since I cannot monitor them meeting other Kings that may be there, they have to leave in a way that they will not meet. I am sure that I will have them all meet up at a later time once this bullshit is done with.:_

At the mass confirmation he got, and sudden silences from quite a few, he sighed and shook his head. _I just want to keep a good head count now. That's all that matters to me. If they all reproduced at the same time, then it will help me keep track of everything even more._ Agatha only smiled at him and chuckled.

"I'm sure they all understand," she said and let him squeeze her. When the other limousine arrived, all but Orion and Mellony left it. Then it drove off a ways.

"They wanted alone time," Perseus smirked.

"Good! Let them be alone," Agatha smiled. Her attention turned to the front doors suddenly opening to see Mortimer walking out briskly. He was alerted to them by one of the drones acting as his butler. The older man had seen one of the drones around the home and had to be taken over quickly to avoid word from spreading.

"What can I help you with?" he asked.

"Geoffrey and Tony are dead," Alex said with a small smirk. "They tried to kill us."

"What?! I..." the human said in complete shock.

"We have been monitoring your movements. So far, you seem truthful and honest. Which is a rarity," Agatha said with a distinct air of disdain. "Tony tried to take me hostage with a hired thug as the driver. So, we met him where he was eating and discussed our intense displeasure. Geoffrey was planning our assassination. He tried to kill himself when we found him. So, he was already dying when I was able to speak with him."

"Idiot!" Mortimer scowled.

"And, since you have been upholding your end of the bargain, I'll tell you this. The next time you see those two, they will be one of ours. As in, we took them over," she smirked. "They work for us now. And you are not allowed to blab about it."

"Oh..." Mortimer paled.

"And the same thing will happen to you, if you fuck up," Alex muttered. "So, do me a favor. Continue to be the good little human and behave. The moment you piss me off, I'll know. No matter who you hire to wipe your ass or chew your food, it may just be someone that works for us. Like him."

Alex pointed to Lelantos, and the gardener guise was dropped. Gaia did the same thing from her housemaid guise. At the chilling grin Lelantos gave Mortimer, the man was in complete speechless shock. Now he knew that he  _had_  to play by their rules.

"There is a place we need to be at for more speeches in two days," Robert said. "In Connecticut. Think you can be there to ensure that all goes well?"

"Yes," Mortimer said softly.

"Of course, you don't have to physically be there. We just want to make sure that we know you're around somehow. That's all," Robert said calmly. Mortimer could agree to that.

"Oh, our workers will be attending your meetings. They will act exactly like who they replaced. They won't agree with what you say they are. And, the moment you try to expose them, you'll be just like them and working for us. The same goes to your surviving three friends. So far, like you, they seem to be behaving. But, you are the one that seems to lead them. Don't disappoint us. I came here personally to warn you out of mild respect," Agatha said. "Now, I'm starving! I need a good restaurant to go to."

"Why don't you both settle in a nice hotel and get room service?" Thanatos asked from where he stood with Tethys.

"Because then it reminds me of the base I was at for so long," she said and got him laughing softly. "If I'm out, I may as well enjoy myself."

"As long as I'm with you. And your guards," Alex said.

"Then let's go somewhere fun," she said.

"I know where to go," Robert said. "Movies."

"Hmm..." Alex mused. "Okay. Let's go."

Agatha beamed at the new places she was going to get to see, and Mortimer was fully ignored. But, Lelantos was given the silent mission to watch his every move for the next full day.

"Mom, Orion is still hogging the other limo," Andromeda sighed. Agatha now looked at Alex to see him mutter. Then, much to their surprise, another limousine showed up.  _Orion was thinking ahead._ Then another limousine appeared that seemed to be far more elaborate than the last. Orion prodded to Alex that this one was for them.

"Kids, you get the crap car. The drones will find a good place for us, and we'll meet there," Alex said. "Thanatos, you're a kid. Go with them. Commander, you get to ride with them, too. And, I don't care if you don't like me calling you that still. You should know this. Lelantos, did you and Gaia want to join us? You'll have to ride in the kiddy car, though."

"I'm sure we can squeeze in," the King chuckled. "The watch will never stop on anyone with what's already set up."

"That it won't," Thanatos smirked. They piled into the waiting limo, and Alex, Nick, and Agatha got into the far more luxurious one with leather seating and plush carpeting. It had plenty of upgraded features with heated seats, lighted line paneling, and a small mini bar. At the sight of the DVD player and small plasma screen, Alex had Nick put in a movie to play for her to watch. It was the first time she found herself doing such a thing. About ten minutes into the ride and movie, she sighed.

"It's nice. But...I don't like it," she frowned.

"What is there not to like?" Alex asked. "It's funny. Isn't it?"

"It is funny, but it's not what I like to do. Sure, watch a bunch of people act out things with some nice explosions and effects. A few humorous lines here and there. Humans find that entertaining. I don't. I'm just...happy to be with you and solve a puzzle. At least a puzzle forces me to think. I can't enjoy watching videos and such. It's not my thing," she said. Nick thought and activated the PlayStation hidden in the console to start up one of the many games in it. Handing her a controller, it explained lightly on how to work it. She knew her kids played video games. She was never one to do it, but, on realizing that it was a game that featured various puzzles that she was going to be playing, she found herself a touch delighted.

"Genius!" Alex muttered to the drone. "Virtual puzzles. Fucking genius."

"Thank Hypnos for that. An actual puzzle might get messed up in a moving car. At least this can let her experience it in other ways," it muttered back. Then it noticed how Alex even found himself a bit drawn into the puzzle game to help her out. This was good to know for distracting him, too. Since they were driving to their next destination, it would be a good two hour drive, if that. About thirty minutes of playing, the controller was set aside.

"Bored already?" Alex muttered and got kissed hard. "Don't worry. We'll explore. We'll find a good restaurant...then a worthy hotel..."

_:Wine, dine, and sixty-nine?:_ Osiris joked to him in the link from what he picked up.

_:Fuck off.:_ Alex scowled at him to hear the mental laughter. At Agatha's small glance, he now gave her a look of complete surprise. "No."

"Why not? Nick did it to me," she chuckled.

"That's fine. Nick's used to doing dirty shit all the time. Not me," he said sternly.

"You don't want to know what she tastes like?" Nick asked calmly. At the scalding glare given, it laughed hard. He knew he got plenty of information from the drone before.

"You told me enough. I'm fine," he snorted. At the small frown she gave, he let out a small groan of disbelief. "Come on, Hera! I don't ask you to do it to me!"

"Maybe you should," she said now with a small grin. Now he looked at her with surprise. "Well, we still have a bit of a drive, you know."

"Hera," he said lightly. "as...curious...as it would be, it's not my style."

"Do you think you could...attempt it? At some point?" she asked softly.

"Really, Hera?" he asked with a form of pleading to his tone.

"What's so bad about it?" she frowned.

"I am going to kick Osiris's ass when I see him!" he muttered and refocused from the soft caress she gave him. "I never really...liked doing it. Before my viral tendencies were given."

"Oh," she said. Nick now sent him a private message, and he mused over what he was told. On looking at her, he kissed her passionately and gave her a smoldering look of desire.

"I'm going to do as much as I can to you," he promised. "but no guarantees on certain things. I'll experiment just enough. To see what I can and can't do. Is this fair?"

"That's fair," she said and let him kiss her again. In the other car, Osiris was just crowing with laughter at what he started. When he told the others, they were dying.

"You are in so much trouble!" Hermanubis snickered.

"Tell me about it," Osiris agreed. Isis was giggling hard with the other girls. "And Orion is already past that point. Is the limo he's in following us?"

"Yes," Thanatos nodded. "I have a drone ensuring that as a driver."

"Good. Dad would kick his ass, if he strayed too far," Perseus said and got snuggled by Gemma and Lyra. Lelantos accept a cuddle from Andromeda, as he held Gaia close to him, too. Robert was on the phone with the main reps to set up the next delivery of speeches. He also had a few drones contact the local police departments for needed escorts through various areas.

"Shouldn't we get the FBI department out here to help us?" Andromeda asked.

"Nah. They have enough problems dealing with the current President. We're fine," Thanatos grinned and listened to a conversation a drone had that was posing as his assistant for matters like this. "Robert, you should have an assistant do all that grunt work for you."

"Why? It gives me something to do," he shrugged. "I hate feeling like a third wheel."

"Father, you're never a third wheel," Sigyn said and moved to press into him affectionately. That got him to chuckle. "If you want, I can be the receptionist."

"No! I should do it," Isis said. "I'm better for the job."

"You can both do it," he said calmly. That got him getting cuddled by Isis next. He squeezed them both gently to him. "I'm sure there will be plenty for you both to do."

"It's all good. I can say that, eh, 'Lynette' is on loan. As John, I'll be working closely with you, too," Osiris nodded. "I can do that."

"And, I can play out as being a negotiator for times and such. If something goes wrong, I'll be in the face of whoever fucked up," Hermanubis grinned.

"Ah. My kids," Robert said with a small grin to get them all laughing. "My redneck, viral kids. How I adore you all!"

"Same with you, Father," Isis smiled and kissed his cheek.

"And I'm so happy that Hermes isn't here to shit on our parade!" Robert grinned even more. At the sudden retort through the link from him, he barked out laughter with the others from what they told him was said.

_:You can tell him that I'll_  always _be there in some way or form to give over my two cents!:_ Hermes scowled at them all.  _:Dana has been itching to try and come up, too, but we just did it. If she's pregnant, then her ass stays here with me.:_

_:I agree.:_ Alex said from what he gleaned.  _:My former sister is invaluable to me. To all of us. In a sense, she is what all of you came from, too. Remember that.:_

_:We will always remember. Why do you think we spoil her so?:_ Hypnos chuckled in his deep tone.  _:I'm even sending her some ham with a baked in coating of concentrated Japanese honey. It definitely enhances the sweetness.:_

_:You are now her most favorite King ever.:_ Hermes laughed. As they conversed separately now, Robert kept his focus on the tinted windows to watch the scenery go by. There was a lot of forest area, and he was quite certain that drones were now hunting a bit of the wildlife around them. In the end, he found himself yawning. He figured a good nap was in order. Isis already had his phone and was answering calls for him in a rather professional manner. Sigyn was ready to take over after she was done to start working in turns. As he closed his eyes to rest, the others were easily biding the time with small jokes and games.

In the third limousine, Orion was cradling Mellony to him with a form of complete contentment. They had managed to dress a bit hastily, but ended removing what they put on when they tried to dress each other.

"This...isn't what I expected..." Mellony panted against him.

"Nothing ever is," he grinned and hugged her close to him.

"Were the others okay?"

"I had other modes of transportation waiting for them."

"Good. Oh, any news on the footage?"

"Good question," he muttered and focused on the link. "The helicopter was found. The footage is secured. It has not been seen yet. Thankfully."

"Where are we going now?" she asked and snuggled into his warm chest.

"Connecticut. Election speech, apparently. We can just sit back and watch," he chuckled. "Maybe we'll get to go out and find a good place to eat, too."

"I'm sure we could," she smiled and found herself relaxing against him. "Good thing we have some blankets. Should we try to dress again?"

"Nah! We've got a good hour to enjoy each other a bit more. Don't worry over it," he soothed. "I promised that I would take care of you. Don't worry about a thing."

She gave him a glowing smile and kissed him softly. While they continued to savor each other, back at Mortimer's estate, he was panicking. He couldn't trust his staff now. Even if he asked them security questions, the drones knew all the answers.

"Damn him! Fucking Geoffrey! We're all ruined!" he muttered and fumed at his desk. The scout drone only smirked in its camouflaged state, as it watched him. "Should have gotten rid of him last year when he fucked up before!"

At his phone ringing, he answered it. From the tone on the other end, he knew who it was. He couldn't even get in a greeting. "What is going on?"

"Xavier, they are going to Connecticut. They came to my doorstep personally to tell me. They want me to ensure that everything will go well. Also..." he trailed off.

"Also...what?" Xavier asked carefully. Mortimer paused. He was about to tell him of the demise of the two members of their group. He caught himself just in time.

"Make sure we have a few good reservations to the best hotels around. No holds barred. And make sure the same for various restaurants. We want to have a good impression at all times. I'm sure that Tony and Geoffrey are already on that, too," Mortimer said stiffly.

"Right, right," Xavier agreed readily. "I'll ensure nothing interferes with the elections."

"You do that," Mortimer said. After the phone call disconnected, the cloned version of Dorian trotted up to him and nuzzled his hand, as the original would have done on sensing distress. A fond caress was given back with a sigh.  _At least I have my dog._  Or so he thought.


	136. Chapter 136

The moment the trio of limousines pulled up at the elegant and fancy hotel front, several staff members were already waiting to treat them like celebrity guests. Such a thing was expected with how much money was dropped and how Robert was now a political figurehead. When Agatha stepped out of the luxury limo, that same odd pause at her staggering beauty was given before they amped up the service.

"Is she an albino?" one of the men whispered.

"Dunno. She's fucking gorgeous!" a man whispered back.

"Less talk! More work!" the main lead of the group muttered to them. Suitcases were taken out and sent up to various rooms. Osiris knew that Anubis and Bastet had picked this place out and funded everything. Even more surprising was when they appeared waiting for them in the lobby! Agatha was overjoyed to see her offspring and hugged them to her.

"It's good to see you, too, Mother," Anubis chuckled and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"It's so nice to see you again!" Bastet giggled and got her squeeze from Robert next. Both of them were wearing expensive designer clothing from the Giorgio Armani collection. They were part of the first set of broods, so they clearly had Robert's looks. They both had his blond hair and steel grey eyes, but they had normal hair. It wasn't long enough to become tendrils, but they still had complimentary claw and sword attacks for each other. If anything, it was easier to style and comb off to the side. Bastet had her bangs neatly spiked along her forehead, and the rest came down in a soft wave just past her shoulder. Anubis had his hair styled so that the right half his face was covered in a dramatic, yet sophisticatedly styled way.

"You have no idea how many times we get asked how much the bill was for plastic surgery," Anubis smirked. Osiris cracked a grin in his John form. All of the breeders had this tendency. It was a natural birthright.

"Can't help the good looks," Orion grinned when he escorted in Mellony. "We want our room. We'll be ordering room service."

"Right, right," Anubis chuckled and handed over a key. "Penthouse floor, fourth room."

"Got it!" Orion said.

"Honeymoon suite!" Bastet chimed in. Orion made airy fist bump at them with a grin and went to the elevators. Alex mused and nodded at this.

"My Emperor," Anubis muttered to him. "I made sure to reserve you and Mother the all exclusive royalty suite. First room on that floor. There is also a very nice jewelry store in the area that we want to take you both to. Even Father, too. We can go now. Interested?"

"Fine. Kids, you all get to stay here while your mom and I go out for some fun. We'll all meet up at a movie theater in a few hours. Got it?" Alex said to the others.

"Okay, Dad," Andromeda beamed and got a hug from him. Gemma and Lyra got hugs next, and Perseus got the key to their luxury room. "And I'm not sharing a bed with you!"

"Um, ew? I wouldn't want that! Who knows when the last time you bathed was?" he teased and bolted when she chased him. They still had a massive childhood side from their true ages. When Agatha lightly reprimanded them in the link to be adults until behind closed doors, they mildly apologized long enough to get into a more secluded area to be kids again.

Anubis laughed and watched Osiris and Isis get escorted off to a room of their own. Hermanubis and Sigyn were quick to take the hint, and Anubis and Bastet left after giving over the directions. They wanted to start making a new breeding chamber right away. As much as they wanted to go with them, it was best to stay at the hotel to ensure that nothing went wrong.

_:If you guys fuck, you miss the movie. That goes for any of you, too. And Osiris! Isis! Get your asses back here! You need to be with us in case we have a problem. So, no fucking for either of you yet!:_ Alex jabbed at them. Quite a few didn't really care about the movie, and that only had him laugh softly to himself. At the looks Osiris and Isis gave him when they came back over, he gave them a warning glare. They knew he was right in going with them, and they made themselves look more presentable. Agatha sent them a mental promise that they would be together after the outings were done. They accepted that. Hermanubis gave a mental chuckle to Osiris and got a mental flip off back in retort.

"We wanted to go with you, but we have to finalize some things with the hotel. I gave the directions to get to the jewelry store to the link," Anubis said.

"Good. We'll see you later," Alex nodded to him.

_:Not gonna join the hunt?:_ Lelantos asked Hermanubis.

_:Sigyn is far too horny to be ignored right now. There will be plenty of other hunts!:_ Hermanubis chuckled back. Lelantos could only agree. A fresh limo was soon coming up to the main doors to take them to the jewelry store. Thanatos and Lelantos opted to go, too. They were main Kingly killers of the hive. They had to protect the Emperor and Empress. Their Queens stayed behind, though, and were neatly entertained by Alex's offspring.

"It's about ten minutes away," Nick said from what was gleaned in the link. Alex only nodded, as Agatha snuggled into him. He let her glean in the various sights and sounds of the city around them. Musing to himself, he kept a casual arm around her and thought.

"I miss your original clothes," she murmured.

"I'll wear them when we get back there," he chuckled and kissed her softly. "And I thought you liked the suit."

"I do. But...it's not you," she said. "I miss what you always wore."

"And, if I wear no clothes?" he grinned softly.

"Even better," she grinned back and kissed him again. When the limousine stopped in front of the jewelry store, she got out and let Robert lead her in. Thanatos and Lelantos opted to stay in the limo. They knew that everything would be fine with how many were already walking in with her. They would go in, if there was a complete problem. From the store point view, at the sight of the fashionable, wealthy couple walking in with a small entourage, the manager of the store walked out of the back room personally. Nick moved to casually stand in an out of the way corner. The rest of her personal drone escort was ensuring the surrounding area was secure.

"How can I help you?" he asked eagerly.

"What can you do for her? I have to go to some important places, and I want her to be looking her very best," Robert said. "And my friend offered to foot the bill."

"That I have," Osiris nodded in his Commander form. Isis was there as Lynette and ready to punch in whatever was needed. Alex was acting like the casual friend and looking over what the store was displaying in the showcases. Now that several personal displays were being presented, Agatha looked over each one carefully. She did like the star sapphires. Even the mystic topaz collections with various diamond settings looked beautiful.

When a trio of men came in soon after, they were lightly nodded to before being ignored. They weren't wearing masks, since they were keeping their heads down and wearing large hats to hide their facial features. If anything, they wore heavy, dark brown beards. Nick wanted to do something, but Alex only had the drone inform the hive mind of possible replacements and construction if broken items were done. Nick's suspicions of the men were correct when the lead man cleared his throat to expose a gun and a bag. "Just put it all in here for me. Nice and easy. No one gets hurt. Got it?"

"I'm not done shopping. You can wait your turn," Agatha said sweetly without glancing back at him. She knew a gun was pulled by the reflections in various mirrors. Even by what Nick was confirming. She was actually giving him a silent warning to wait until she was done.

"Doll, you don't understand. This is a robbery. And I want everything you have, too," the man said with a wave of his gun at her. Now she spun around in the small chair she was in to give him a chilling glare of disgust.

"How rude! No, I will not give over my valuables! You want them? Come and take them. I dare you," she growled. Alex hid his grin. Osiris casually looked away and clucked his tongue. Robert merely stood still and shook his head. When the two others came over to her purposely, her hair came alive to coil around them and slam them into the walls of the store. The small store seemed shiver from how hard they were slammed, and small cracks were clearly visible. Nick winced and sent out what materials would be needed to fix the walls. Osiris now moved to help put all of the valuables back into the safe.

"Just wait here. And, I would strongly suggest to say nothing," he advised.

"Oh..." the manager swallowed. He just barely saw the lead thug get his gun plucked from his stunned hands by Robert, as he got lifted into the air by several tentacles.

"Now..."Agatha mused. "why don't you give  _me_  all of  _your_  valuables? Hmm?"

"Ah...well..." the man gasped in shock. Various tentacles poked and prodded each pocket to pull out his wallet. Alex smirked and looked over the man's profile. Even the others soon had their wallets removed. Then several drones came in to gather some blood for memory gleaning. What they found out was too funny.

"Interesting. Well, well, Dayle, you've been doing this for quite some time, haven't you?" Alex grinned wickedly. "Always successful. Never an issue. Until today. You would time it for someone wealthy to come in. Then you would walk in to rob them and the store. Very interesting, indeed. Darling, put the piece of shit down and let him run off."

"Why? He'll just come back to this place and do it again!" she pouted. "I like this place. I want to make it a primary store to do my shopping from."

"Okay. We can see about that," Alex nodded. "Asshole, you just pissed off Agatha. She is known as Project Hera. My name is Alex. I am Project Zeus. Does any of this shit ring a tiny little bell in that brain of yours? If you even have a brain?"

"Oh, fuck..." the man paled. The other two men were just as stunned.

"So, now we have a decision to make," Alex sighed. "We didn't want to be exposed. I'm sure the jeweler here is reputable enough to remove film footage..."

"He is," Osiris nodded. "And he'll keep quiet from all the spending we'll be doing."

"Good! As for you three..." Alex mused and watched Agatha group them together with her hair rather easily. "Good thing the windows are tinted from the inside. And the drones outside are calmly keeping others out while we do our celebrity shopping. Well, we don't want a mess. You three have no families or real homes. Problem solved!"

"What?!" one of the men asked and screamed when a drone took him over. The other two were neatly claimed into the fold after that, and they simply left to go about their way with new disguises. Now Alex moved to talk to the jeweler.

"You and the associates have one chance," he muttered dangerously. "I'm a reasonable guy. My mate wants to do business with you all. So, you keep your mouths shut, you all get money. A lot of money. And, some of my boys will be here to ensure your mouths stay shut. You won't even see them. Also, on top of this, if anyone else tries to break in, my boys will stop that from happening. They never sleep. Think of it as, oh, free security. Good deal, right?"

"Of course!" the manager nodded frantically. "Um, if I could pass on such, ah, business deals with you to others in the form of security...?"

"You know of other storefronts with problems?" Agatha smiled. "I could hire out various men to play as hidden security. A small fee of a thousand a month. Or a thousand a man per month. I can do that. I can even adjust prices to be reasonable to fit a merchant's budget. Since I want this place to be my favorite shop in this town, you won't have to pay. It would also start to slowly expose us."

"That is an excellent idea," Alex smiled and kissed her. "Now, let's finish our shopping. We have other places to see."

"Of course, we do," she nodded. Her hair reformed neatly, and Robert settled her back down into the small chair. The jewelry came back out, and she ended up purchasing all of it. A few loose gems were also purchased, and future jewelry designs were set up to be done. When a few drone scouts came in to camouflage against the walls, the manager was stunned. He also felt safer. He was in even more shock when other drones came in to repair any damage that was done by Agatha's enraged tendrils, thanks to Nick's report. The place was now as untouched as when she first walked in. He was simply amazed.

An hour later, a list of other stores were given over to be looked into. Alex was very amused by all of this. _It would be a definite form of slow exposure. Hire out the drones to act as body guards. Let the whispers start that the Blacklight Virus was doing good things._ It would take a good month or two to sort out, but his army was so intense that it didn't matter. Just by walking to the limousine, he saw twenty drones acting like nothing out of the ordinary in the populace. Some did glance over curiously, but it was all acting. He loved it.

Several breeder couples easily opted in to become staffing in various parts of the world. They would go through the motions of becoming a form of global security.  _It was too perfect._  With how many drones that were out there now, small shifts could easily be done. The paperwork was already being filed, and legitimate documentation was being set in place for new online research. What was even funnier was that several storefronts and major businesses were already applying to be the first to test this new form of security.

Business cards and contracts were quickly drawn up to display. Hypnos easily jumped onto that to help set that up. Their logo was easy. A DNA strand with the name 'Safety Net Security' was now being placed. An 800 number was established. Within four hours it was completely online and functional with a building for phone services. A database resource was already in place, too. There were drones placed in every needed section to get it done. Alex muttered this to the others in the limo ride on their way back to the hotel. They had visited four stores in that time and purchased even more jewelry.

"Are you serious? Hypnos had everything set up that fast?!" Thanatos asked with amazement. "Okay, you know that I'm going to want to be one of the few to help delegate drones! I'll have to see to it."

"No. You're playing as the Vice President. You get to play with the army," Alex grinned. Thanatos mused over that. Lelantos, however, was going to be the one to help delegate the drones. That was already eminent and agreed on. Even Hermanubis was going to do what he could. It was another source of unneeded income, too, but every little bit helped.

When the limo got back to the hotel, they had a couple hours to kill before the movie. But, after everything that happened, they decided not to go. Agatha clearly wanted to stay in, and she asked, "We can go tomorrow, right?"

"We can. They won't go anywhere, and we didn't get any tickets yet. It's fine," Alex said. "You dealt with those disgusting humans beautifully. As much as Nick could have handled them, you did very well."

"I learn from the best," she murmured and accepted the heavy kiss he gave her. "Tell me. Do you think you can handle a bath?"

"Hmm. I can't really submerse myself in water. But...I think a bath could be okay," he mused. "I may be strong enough for that."

"Let's test it," she smiled and let him take her out of the limo. Robert was going to head over to see Perseus and the other kids in their room. Osiris and Isis clearly wanted to finally be alone in their room. Lelantos and Thanatos would be the same way with their Queens. The studs were easily resting and checking up on various current events. When Agatha and Alex finally got into their room, they took a moment to take in the sheer splendor of the suite.

The first thing they noticed was the main room. Black leather couches with a creamy, white carpet floor was the desired centerpiece here. On the wall was a sixty-inch plasma television set with 3-D video dimensions and wireless hookup. Speakers lined each corner of the room for excellent surround sound. In the center of the couch line up was a table of teak wood and glass for mild drink and item placements.

Rich, warm beige curtains hung up on the walls, and, when pulled back, displayed an intense view of the lighted city below them as the sun began to set. There was even a small pool built into the main deck that seemed to have a perfect line-up with the horizon for an endless view. A small, floating centerpiece was set with a small candle for a romantic swim in the warm water. It was completely intense.

The small kitchen fridge was set up to be nearly empty, save for the small package of imported Swiss chocolates as a gift from Anubis and Bastet. A small cheese platter was there, too, from the Swiss Alps. Baskets of exotic flowers were set up on every end table to fill the air with a rich, fragrant, and sweet smell. The bathroom was intense with marble tiles, dual shower heads, and glass lining. A small Roman spa tub was set just along the back wall of the bathroom for easy use. But, the bed was the main centerpiece of the whole bedroom.

It was a massive poster bed set with stark white sheets and fresh linen. It took up the entire room neatly with just a small amount of space on either side for placing things on the small, decorative end tables for moving to and from the bed. The pillows were large, fluffy, and easily made use of when Alex set her down on them. Then, at her questioning glance to the bathroom, he said, "We'll try the tub later."

"Where are the others?" she asked and watched his viral clothing peel away.

"Nick's in the other room guarding over us. Robin just walked in to answer the door. Aden plans to answer the phones. Kim is going to check over everything that gets ordered in from the kitchens. And, ah, Eddie is reclining out on the balcony to ensure that no one tries to sneak in from there. Doubtful, but that's what it wants to do. Not complaining," he muttered and began to run his mouth over her neck.

"And, if I have one of them set the water for us...would you use it with me?" she asked and gasped when he moved over her.

"It depends...on if we decide to move from the bed," he chuckled and lost himself in her warm scent. They wanted a small nursery here. Even if it was temporary, it would be fine. The drones would keep the cleaning crews out easily. It was the same with the others, too. In the room with Alex's kids, they were busy playing a four-player game.

"That was my item! You picked it up!" Gemma growled.

"What? In this game, it's first come, first served. Get over yourself," Perseus smirked. "I'm just glad that Hypnos was able to get our saved characters here. He'll put them back when we're done. Hey! That was my pile of gold!"

"It's evenly split! You know that," Lyra chided.

"Behave yourselves, children," Robert chuckled and let them lean into him, as he watched them play. Andromeda grabbed a specialty item that dropped to make them all scowl at her, and she stuck out her tongue at them. As they bickered and argued as they played, Orion was making use of his tub with Mellony.

"Enjoying yourself?" he chuckled, as she rested against him.

"Yeah. It feels like a dream, you know?" she sighed.

"Should I pinch you?" he grinned. He laughed at the poke she gave him. "I know, I know. I swooped in and saved you from a giant mess of life that you hated. Should I put you back in it? What?!"

"You are downright crude!" she muttered and began to tickle him further. Then she started laughing when he tickled her back. They only calmed down when a drone served them some supper of grilled elk with a side of lamb and mashed potatoes. They were able to eat right from the side of the tub with a specialized tray table set up. The kitchen staff were delighted with the rare shipment of meat for the exclusive group. The hotel managers even wanted to see about purchasing some of the produce. Another business option opened right up for them for international and natural food products.

When the dessert came in, she just beamed at it. A large scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream sat on a lush cushion of warm brownie. A drizzle of hot caramel sauce topped it off with a dab of rich, whipped cream. She was swooning at the first bite and almost didn't share it with him for being rude to her a bit earlier. After that was devoured, he chuckled and let her rest against him. He reached for the small remote and flicked on the small flat screen television that was sitting under a protective, watertight casing.

"Nothing good is on," he muttered and flicked through the channels. "Oh! Hypnos wants me to try something."

"Hypnos?" she asked.

"He's a King. One of my older brothers, you could say. He's very smart," he grinned and hit a button combination when he was directed to it. The screen popped up a display of what his siblings were playing. He was amazed. "We can watch what the others are doing!"

"Playing a game?" she laughed.

"And fighting in it. Look at how they're trying to beat each other to whatever drops! That is too funny!" he grinned. When the screen went dark, he wondered if something happened. Then a racing title appeared. He laughed hard at that.

"You find it amusing to spy on them?" she grinned.

"No. I was only helping Hypnos test a theory, and it worked. You could say that our TV hacked into their TV. We can watch what they do on it. Even what they're watching, and they have no idea. I find it kinda fun. Is something wrong?"

"No. I just thought that watching TV would be the last thing on your mind," she chuckled. Now that he looked at her and grinned, he pulled her close to kiss her deeply.

"Trust me," he muttered with a small smile. "I may have a form of viral blood in my system, but I think I gave you everything I had. So, it's not that I don't want to..."

"Saying you're tired?" she smirked. The look he gave her now sent excited chills down her spine. He glanced up at the blaring screen and turned it off.

"Not really," he muttered and pulled her close to kiss her hard.


	137. Chapter 137

The next day had them in a relaxed daze of comfort. They all sorely needed this. As much as Agatha wanted to go out and explore, she needed one full day of just being with her mate. And she was heavily pregnant. Right after she birthed the drones later that day, Robert was allowed to be with her. He needed her, too, and this gave Alex some time to sit down with Lelantos and Thanatos in one of the main conference rooms. Osiris and Hermanubis showed up soon after to discuss what needed to be done in the days ahead.

"Okay," Alex said, as he looked over the schedule. "We have a whole week here. And a month of traveling around here. I want reports."

"Of course, my Emperor," Osiris nodded. "The President and the Vice President will be in the same room as us in four days to talk about various terms and conditions."

"Hmm," Alex mused. "You know what? Fuck it. Have drones ready."

"My Emperor?" Hermanubis asked. Thanatos and Lelantos glanced at each other with small, knowing grins.

"I'm done playing the game. I'm done bowing down to humans up here. I'm done hiding," he said. "It's a press conference. Right?"

"Yes," Osiris said.

"Good. There are so many of us out there now that I'm dealing my full deck of cards. I want as many drones as possible in every possible military location that we know of. The moment those cameras turn on, the President dies with his whole party. Or, we simply take him over behind the scenes and away from prying eyes. Then we have our drone simply sign over everything to Robert. After that, it's done," he said calmly.

"You don't want to be sworn in?" Osiris asked.

"No. It's a done deal now. There's no need for it. It's time to end this. Anyone who gets in our way is taken out. Four days. Full conference. Send the word," Alex said and rose up from the table. He moved over to where Agatha was resting and relaxed in the bed with her. Robert had just gone out with Isis and Sigyn to check out some new markets. The two of them were easily informing him of what was going on, and even he was in agreement at this.

"Done so soon?" she smiled and kissed him.

"Hera, I'm tired," he said with a sigh. "Tired of playing their games. I'm tired of bending to their rules. It's time to push that 'fuck you' button and be done with it."

"I was wondering when you were going to do that," she grinned wickedly. "How soon are we to expect a final result?"

"I'm not sure. I'll have to see what all can be done," he shrugged. At the sound of gunshots and screams in the hallway, he grinned. "That was Geoffrey's assassin. Nick just plastered the human to the wall in a spray of blood.

"Lovely," she rolled her eyes and yawned. "I'm hungry."

"Okay," he said and kissed her hungrily. "So am I."

"Are you?" she purred out to make him tense with lust.

"After these breeders are out, we'll wait for them to hatch. Then we'll leave," he growled and kissed her hotly. He gazed at her with his sky blue eyes into her pastel blues. At a knock on the door, he glanced over with solid irritation.

"Sorry, my Emperor," Nick said when it walked in. "I had to show you something."

"Not through a link?" he frowned.

"Not this," Nick grinned now. Alex rose a brow and watched Aden and Eddie bring in a television flat screen. They flicked it on and entered a USB thumbnail drive into it. Now Alex watched with intense fascination. _It was the footage of Agatha in her rage. She was completely terrifying._ And he fell in love with her all over again.

He never saw how her hair moved with a form of fluid motion to seek out and destroy before. Each tendril was hell-bent on mass destruction. Everything happened so fast that no one had a chance to react. Even as he felt coils gently caress and squeeze him with affection, he knew that each one of them could easily split into smaller tendrils to get into almost any crevice to seek out its prey. She was as bloodthirsty as he was.

"You know what?" Alex mused. "Let's fuck with the populace. Upload this to the internet. To YouTube. Google. Yahoo. Any place that has a live stream section. Sure, many will see this as a fake. But, let's start fucking with their heads."

"You can't really make her out, can you?" Nick chuckled.

"Nope. Send it to the public," he grinned wickedly.

"Hypnos wants to send out various versions of it. Each one more incredible than the first to make the public think it's fake," Nick laughed softly.

"Ah, yeah. I give him full permission," Alex laughed with the drone.

"That is too funny!" Agatha laughed with them. "But, I did have an idea."

"What idea?" Alex grinned.

"Let's get a clone of Robert made. And let's have the clone sign over everything to you after the clone is sworn in. Then...you simply kill the clone," she chuckled.

"Okay. You have my complete interest," Alex snickered and kissed her. "Nick. Send the word now. Have George and Hedeyasu work on this."

"They have been informed," Nick nodded.

"I figure it will take about four days to get that ready. After I give birth and these breeders hatch, we'll go to the next place to wait. Think we can do that?" she smiled.

"We can do that. Actually..." Alex mused and focused on Cronus.  _:Hey. Dickweed. Did you find out anything about those other three?:_

_:They are staying low. They are honoring their word by not interfering. And do you have to insult me like that?!:_ Cronus growled.

_:You deserve it until you earn a place of more respect in my eyes. So shut the fuck up. Quit whining. Your mother is going to birth breeders soon. After they hatch, we will go to the final meeting place.:_

_:Final? You mean...:_ Cronus mused.

_:Yes. It's time to end this charade of meaningless bullshit. So, rally your drones and breeders. The word is being spread. Find as many military facilities as you can and overrun them. Our time of exposure is high. In fact, let the drones be lenient on being hidden. If they're caught, oh well. It's time to cause a bit of Hell.:_

_:About fucking time!:_ Cronus crowed with laughter, as he sent his orders to his drones and breeders. The other Kings were just as eager. Thanatos and Lelantos were already on top of things. Alex did glance up when Thanatos walked into the room.

"Can I kill the clone?" he asked with a wicked grin.

"Hmm. Maybe. You have to impress me. Find out where the President is and everything about him. The more you find out, the more you convince me," Alex smirked.

"Yes!" Thanatos chuckled and sent out his orders now.

"If he fails, I'll take over," Lelantos snickered when he walked in.

"Fuck you!" Thanatos growled. "He's my kill!"

"Boys, settle down," Agatha warned. The Kings cleared their throats and nodded to her. "I'll do a test of skill. Get into the White House and bring me something of value. Whoever's drone gets caught first loses the privilege to kill the President."

"Are you serious?" Lelantos asked with a grin.

"That's a worthy enough challenge for me. I'm in!" Thanatos grinned wickedly.

"Of course, if you succeed, then to the winner the spoils," she smiled sweetly.

"You're gonna lose!" Lelantos said.

"No way!" Thanatos growled.

"Mother, can this go to me, too," Hermanubis asked. Now both Kings glared at him.

"Certainly!" she crooned. Neither King wanted a breeder to win. "You have four days. Make it less, and it will increase the odds."

_:Can any of us do this?:_ Hypnos chimed in.

_:No. Only the ones that will be here in the flesh.:_ Alex said. That got a small wave of sulking, but he ignored it.

_:My Emperor, can I send out small 'gifts' to various political figureheads that are actually meant to be cameras? Such as...:_ Hypnos mused.  _:maybe a free teddy bear, or a complimentary piece of jewelry art meant to be displayed?:_

_:Whatever you have planned, do it. The more we know about everyone, the better.:_ Alex agreed. Agatha sent a glowing show of approval to him. Hypnos felt elated at that.  _:Oh. I want some puzzles made to be sent to those figureheads, too...:_

_:I get the idea.:_ Hypnos said in a wicked tone. Agatha barked out laughter with many others in the link.  _:I may be able to find out who sends out the most items to them and copy the name and address to the postage.:_

_:DO IT!:_ Dionysus shouted, as he laughed.

_:That would be epic!:_ Coeus laughed.

_:I'd send dog shit to the ones that treat others like shit.:_ Hermes mused.

_:There's actually a place that sends gift-wrapped horse shit.:_ Eros chuckled.  _:And, my Emperor, a private word?:_

_:Go on.:_ Alex nodded in the link, as he shut the others out.

_:You really need to take Mother out more. She needs a few dates with you. I'd say, after the breeders are birthed, take her out to see the sights. Let the populace think that she's cheating. It won't matter in the end. Everything can be laughed at.:_ Eros snickered.

_:I like that idea. I would be considered a personal guard. And, if she loses control of her anger, I would be the one to snap her back into line. Good idea!:_ Alex nodded. He broke off the connection and whispered to his mate. She gave a warm, glowing look at him to get kissed for it.

"Where would we go?" she murmured. Then she giggled when Alex waved a middle finger at the others to get out.

"I'm sure I could find a place. A few places, even," he chuckled and let her snuggle into him even more. "A back ally to kill a few humans..."

"Oh, sure. Really romantic," she rolled her eyes.

"Wishbone style?" he mused. She found herself laughing. "Anyways, we got ahold of some new meat and food."

"Really?" she beamed. With her getting pampered and cared for, Thanatos, Lelantos, and Hermanubis were carefully watching their drones work their way into the White House. They discovered that the First Lady had a very exquisite Faberge Egg that was passed down in her family. They wanted to acquire it.

"Think we can make a duplicate?" Lelantos mused.

"We can. I'd say teamwork to get that egg out. Then we can fight on who gives it to our Empress," Hermanubis. "We can steal it from each other, even."

"So...neutrality on hostile grounds until on neutral grounds," Thanatos thought aloud.

"It would show that we can work together in tight spots," Lelantos shrugged.

"Exactly," Hermanubis nodded. "Or, we up the odds. We all deliver that egg. We all get to claim the kill."

"Hmm..." Thanatos mused over the idea. "When should we start?"

"Let's get the duplicate crafted first. Then we strike. Hypnos wants to help, so he'll make the duplicate," Hermanubis said.

"I don't know. Hypnos might fuck us over. You know he wants to deliver the egg, too," Lelantos sighed. "But..."

"Who else would know how to make the perfect design?" Thanatos finished with a sigh. "Fine. We'll chance asking for his help. No others."

"I wouldn't ask any others," Lelantos nodded.

"I do have a blueprint layout," Hermanubis smirked.

"Get it?" Thanatos asked. For the rest of the evening, they went over the White House blueprints carefully. As much as they each wanted to impress Agatha separately, they knew that teamwork would impress her the most. Even as they talked, Hypnos was already sending out the first wave of viral videos of the highway attack. In one video, Agatha was herself. In another, her form looked like a winged angel of death. Another showed her as a white static line. Each video got credited and discredited quickly.

Then the drones started to slowly let themselves slip in the public eye. Pictures were snapped. Panic ensued. Riots began to break out. When someone tried to attack a drone, another appeared to kill the attacker. A whole mob of enraged humans was quickly taken out by a single drone. Even small gangs were slaughtered when a drone was found and ganged up on.

"Shit, dawg! Move!" a younger man said to his buddy when they ran to safety.

"Dude...what the fuck was that thing?! We jumped it, too! It took out Mikey and Rodriguez, man! Just a simple robbery, man!" the guy panted. "Our bullets did nothing!"

"I dunno..." the first man said. Then he screamed when the drone's sword pierced through him. The black eyes locked on the single surviving human. The man's scream didn't even make it past his throat when his head was lopped off and left for the cops to find in the morning. The end of days had finally just started. Alex was far too pleased with it.


	138. Chapter 138

The President was completely floored at the mass murders going on in the country. Even worse were the reported images being seen and posted all over the internet.  _But, the campaign had to go on. There was nothing more to be said._  His hands were tied.

"What do we do?" one of the campaign associates asked.

"We must trust our forces. The campaign must go on," the President sighed hard.

"You won't believe this!" he heard his wife shriek when she came over to him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"My Faberge Egg! The one from my family! It's fake! The real one is gone!" she freaked. Now he looked at her with complete shock. "The real one has a trick floor in it. Something special is there. This one has...nothing! It's just a hollow egg!"

"Let me see this," he growled and moved quickly. One of the drones acting like one of the security guards was quick to follow. This was a secret they all had to know. While this was going on, Robert was settled in Agatha's room to watch the new breeder eggs grow. Then he remembered something, as he watched one of her tendrils move to caress Alex.

"Agatha," Robert said. "there was something that happened back at George's place when we first met him. Yes, I know, a bit of a while back..."

"That's fine. What was it?" she asked.

"When you pulled me back with a tendril of your hair, I actually felt...you. Your concern for me. I actually felt your thoughts," he said. At this, she found herself musing at it. Alex nodded to her, and she let a tendril of hair gently coil around Robert. When this happened, he actually gasped. He felt how much Agatha truly valued him. _She was proud of me and respected me._ He even felt how she first viewed him the first time they met.

"So, you can feel her?" Alex grinned.

"Yes. And you're still an asshole," Robert muttered and patted a tendril with a touch of affection. Alex just grinned a bit more at that. What further amused him was that Robert seemed to be completely enthralled with Agatha's thoughts now. Everything else was ignored.

_:My Emperor, this is Heimdall. You may want to check in with the drones at the White House. Something interesting is being discovered with that new treasure.:_ The King chuckled. Alex mused at this and homed in. At the thoughts he was gleaning now, he nudged Agatha.

"What?" she asked.

"An egg was delivered to you from the three psychopaths. There's a hidden compartment inside it," he grinned. She blinked at this, and the egg was quickly brought over. The small latch was found, and inside it was a flawless blue diamond. "Now this is a treasure."

"You know," Agatha smirked. "if you want a very easy win with no mess, this can be our trump card. No need to take over anyone. Suggest to exchange the Presidency for this gem and egg. I'm sure the votes would need to happen..."

"No. I'm done playing with votes. We'll still proceed as planned, but, if the President cooperates, we'll transport him and his family elsewhere. They stay out of our way, they get to live and claim this back. They fight us, well...we never lack new recruits," he chuckled. "Anyways, these breeder eggs have another three hours. Was there anything you wanted to do?"

"Just you," she grinned wickedly at him. He gave a growl in her ear to make her laugh. "Oh, I'm sure there's some form of specialty meat out there for me to try."

"I'm sure something could be found," he muttered and got kissed.

"Father," Osiris said to Robert. When he didn't respond, Osiris poked his shoulder to see his father spin around to look at him. "I need to talk to you. It's about the elections."

"Huh? Ah. Okay," he nodded. He gave another loving pat to the tendril that was around him and gently moved it off. Agatha glanced over at him and smiled. She knew that he liked being able to feel her thoughts. _I could use it as a form of reward with him._

"You may need to snap him out of your thoughts, if they affect him that strongly," Alex said. She nodded at that. She would be sure to try it.

"What do you want to talk about?" Robert asked when he sat at a table and got served up some lunch. Osiris smiled and thought.

"This whole new thing with exposure is fucking over the elections. At least on the opponent's side. It gives us an edge. We may need to up it a notch," Osiris grinned.

"How?" Robert asked.

"The drones are currently hiding behind various movie screens all over the world. Certain movies have fight scenes with 3-D effects. They were going to start jumping out of said screens and start slaughtering people. What do you think?"

"Messy, yet very effective. But, I wouldn't go with the movie deal. Instead, I would have various drones placed around as security guards. If someone gets out of line, the drones handle it their own way. If they get questioned, they handle that their own way. Yes, we're a bunch of terrorists and fuck ups in the end, but we want to show that we can use such traits in other ways, right? It's just like with the jewelry store deal. We're fuck ups, but we're trying to fit in."

"We also have Hunters stationed around all over," Osiris said.

"Okay. You know we have to let one loose during an election gathering," Robert smirked. That got Osiris barking out with laughter. "Preferably on the side of the opponent."

"Well, the next one is set with the Presidential meeting," Osiris said.

"Good. We can launch one as we go into the building. Then I can simply state that, with me as the President, I can guarantee protection against threats like Hunter attacks. What does the current President have to offer?" Robert asked in a sly, wicked tone. Osiris ran a hand over his face and started laughing. "And I'll even let Alex deal the killing blow to show how it's done."

"You'll let him?" Osiris grinned.

"He would insist on it," Robert shrugged. "But, Agatha did have a point about the Faberge Egg and the diamond. Send a message to the President. If he wants the treasure back, he can sign over the Presidency. He doesn't want to do that..."

"He'll see it when we next see him," Osiris chuckled.

"Exactly. And the three schmucks that are left over. Larry, Moe, and Curly," Robert said and got Osiris laughing again. "Oh, wait. There's four left. I forgot about Shemp. I honestly don't think we need them. If they want to prove their worth, have them send some reinforcements to the next location. We can work with what they have to offer. We'll send a few drones in to watch them after this. I'm sure they know that resistance is futile. As the old saying goes."

"As it usually does," Osiris nodded. At the sight of Andromeda charging in, Robin approached her to see what the problem was.

"I need to see Dad," she said.

"Our Emperor is busy right now," Robin said.

"What's going on?" Robert asked.

"Lyra, Gemma, and I are very bored. Perseus is just being a complete jerk about, it, too," she sniffed. "We need to do something!"

"Games aren't working anymore?" Osiris asked.

"It would be fine, if Perseus wasn't hogging it," Andromeda muttered. "And Orion's no help. He's starting up a new family line now."

"And we knew about that. Anyways, why don't the lot of you go wedding clothes shopping? I'm sure there's plenty of drones that will stand by for protection, and you all need good ideas, anyways, right?" Robert chuckled.

"That's right! There's plenty of places to look online, too!" she beamed. Then Perseus charged in with a nasty look.

"No! Oh, no! I am not going to have them pick out something for me to wear!" he growled. Osiris started cracking up.

"Then you can come shopping with us," Andromeda grinned sweetly.

"Fuck that! I'll find my own clothes to wear," Perseus said. "I don't want to be there listening to three girls bicker and fight over clothes."

"Oh, please! It won't be that bad," she said.

"Ah, hello? The three of you were chiding each other on what your game characters looked like with differently dyed styles of clothing," he countered.

"Children, children," Robert said with a small laugh. "You both know that Agatha gets the last word in. If she doesn't like what you wear, then she will lay down the law."

"We know," Andromeda smiled.

"And it's Orion's wedding. He should choose the theme," Robert reminded her.

"Good. Go pester him now," Perseus smirked. Andromeda sighed and moved past him before smacking him on the back of the head and bolting. "You bitch!"

"Too slow, Fuckwad!" she teased, flipped him off, and squealed when he chased her.

"Definitely Alex's kids," Robert muttered at Osiris's laughing form.

"You are fucking dead!" Perseus snarled, as he chased her.

_:Stop it. Now.:_ Alex's command filtered into their heads. They both froze up.  _:Yes. I get it. You're both bored. You're all bored. If the two of you keep this shit up, I'll have you both fuck each other to get it over with. Don't want that? Then behave. You want something to do? Fine. Talk to Orion and see what he wants to do about a wedding theme like Robert suggested. Orion is now expecting you. Get Gemma and Lyra to go with you two. Perseus, I know you don't want to go shopping with them. But, guess what? Grow a pair and suck it up. You have to be with them to help protect them.:_

_:Yes, Dad.:_ Perseus sighed.

_:And, if you don't grow a pair, I'll make sure you eat a pair. Trust me. I have my ways.:_ He warned them. When he left their minds, both siblings looked at each other with a bit of disgust at what he suggested.

"Never in a million years!" she growled.

"Likewise," Perseus nodded. "Breeders and others are one thing."

"Not us," she agreed. They started to walk down the hall to the room and caught each other glancing at the other. "Why do you keep looking at me?"

"You're looking at me, too," he said.

"Well, I'm only looking at you, because you keep looking at me," she retorted.

"Then stop looking at me," he muttered. They finally stopped walking to glare at each other. "What is wrong with you?"

"I don't know," she frowned and spun her curly, red haired head away from him. He reached out, spun her back to him, and kissed her. This shocked them both. "What the...?!"

"I don't know why I did that," he swallowed.

"I thought...that we couldn't..." she blinked.

"A preference, maybe. Orion didn't want to do something like this. I know that Gemma and Lyra didn't, either. But...I always liked you when I first saw you," he admitted.

"Is that why you would always pick on me?" she gaped at him. At his look of admitted guilt, she sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I just...you're my brother."

"And so is every other breeder and King born from Mom. All we did was get viral pieces and a shot of blood. Technically, we're not really true blood."

"But, in a sense, we are the same species now through Dad."

"Not related, though," he smirked.

"Oh, geez..." she rolled her green eyes at him.

"I know, okay? It's all...out of the blue..." he sighed. "But, you tell me that that kiss didn't feel right. What do you think?"

"I'm skeptical," she admitted and swallowed.

"Well, we don't have to jump right into it," he said.

_:You should!:_ Dionysus prodded him.

_:Put a sock in it!:_ Perseus scowled back at him. Then he glanced at Andromeda and grimaced at her soft groan.  _News really did travel fast in the link._

_:It's your decisions in the end, my children.:_ Agatha chuckled.  _:The two of you are unique from the rest. So, unlike the others that are bonded, you both have a choice. A bond can cement, or it may dissipate. Tread lightly and see what happens.:_

"Mom's right," Andromeda said softly. "I just...I can't see you that way."

"I think you do," he muttered and moved to have her back up against the wall. His dark brown eyes gazed into her green ones. "You just kept it hidden."

_:If she does not consent, you stop.:_ Alex said in a warning tone to him.  _:Yes, I said to fuck each other, but it was only to kick your asses back into line. I didn't realize you actually did want to fuck her. I don't care, but, if she doesn't want it, then you back the fuck off.:_

At this warning, he swallowed and said, "I'm sorry, Andromeda. I didn't want it to get this way. Like this. If you don't want this, then..."

He found himself drawn into a kiss done by her. After it was done, she sighed and said, "I don't know what I want. So, we'll try this. We won't go all the way, but we'll just...dip our toe in a bit. You know?"

"I do," he smiled and hugged her to him. They were about the same height, and he knew that she didn't feel right around any others.  _She preferred to be around family._ They walked the rest of the way to their room to find Lyra and Gemma looking at them with mischievous grins. "And you two can keep whatever you want to say to yourselves!"

"Perseus and Andromeda..." Lyra started.

"Sitting in a tree!" Gemma added.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Lyra belted out after. Andromeda glanced at them both and went to the fridge. Then she started to shake up something vigorously. Both troublesome sisters now squealed at the sight of the shaken up soda bottle that Andromeda had in her hands. And it was pointed right at them.

"So much for love and marriage," Andromeda smirked and popped the lid to let it spray all over her sisters. When they were gasping from shock of sticky cola dripping off them, they both gaped at Perseus with the seltzer spritzer from the small stock bar.

"And the baby carriage, too," he grinned wickedly and hosed them down with the seltzer water. The drones were quick to help clean up the mess and help them shower. Perseus only chuckled and looked at Andromeda. "That was fun."

"Whoever said you don't learn anything from cartoons," she chuckled back and got hugged. "I think I got some soda on you."

"Wanna help clean me up?" he asked.

"No. We're going slow. Remember?" she smiled and waved him off. He seemed to pout, but he understood. As the room got cleaned, Orion was roaring with laughter in his room.

"What happened?" Mellony grinned. He gasped and managed to tell her. Her jaw dropped with complete surprise at this. "So...they're brother and sister...and..."

"It's...different with us. Remember?" he chuckled. "I'm just floored at what they did to Lyra and Gemma! That was epic! Everyone in the link is dying!"

"And no one else minds about the other thing happening? Oh. That's right. It's...different for your family," she sighed.

"No one is truly related, other than the breeders. The Kings and Queens are, in a way, but we are all a bunch of viruses. It's very different with us," he shrugged. "I tried to tell you before. It's still tough to take in, right?"

"My family would feel very awkward, if they knew," she frowned.

"Then we don't tell them the truth," he shrugged. "If they learn it, then, oh well. Not much to do then, right?"

"It just worries me," she admitted. He hugged her to him and kissed her softly.

"Just trust in me, okay?" he smiled. She beamed at him and smiled back with a nod. A hundred miles away from the hotel and big city, the drones were making themselves known as local exterminators. A few small Hunters were let loose, and the drones were making short work in killing them off. The same thing was being done in other rural parts of the United States. Alex's family was slowly gaining the support of the local communities. They were even becoming quickly known as the best wildlife assistance around. Their skin simply couldn't get pierced by animal fangs, claws, or insect bites.

"Viral Exterminations," a drone said at a desk in a local Georgia community.

"I got a gator out back," a man said on the phone.

"Address please," the drone said. At the next sound of the man's disbelief of a drone simply appearing on the scene that was close by to remove the alligator problem, the small fee was quickly paid for with a credit card number. As much as many wanted to revolt against the new viral community, the good residences demanded for them to stay. There was a twentyfour hour night watch installed in places that requested it. The drones never slept. Troublesome neighborhoods suddenly became safer overnight.

"I'm telling you! I was gonna get mugged, and one of those viral things came out and saved me!" an elderly woman said to a news reporter. "I want one to guard my house!"

"Whatever happened on that freeway was probably deserved. They were clearly protesters and blocking traffic!" an older man said. "If I could grow things from my body to get rid of them, I probably would have, too!"

"Excuse me," a drone said, as it walked over with a short nod when the man left the scene. "I am one of the viral mutations. I can talk to you."

"Oh, are you?" the reporter asked. The drone looked like an ordinary person. Then the drone shifted right in front of them with an expressionless gaze. It was one of Alex's drones from the black hair and pale skin. And it was a lesser version of Nick.

"Yes. That I am," the drone said in its monotone voice. At the sudden screams in the distance, the drone turned its attention directly towards it and bolted.

"Go! Go!" the cameraman shouted at the driver when they jumped into the van to follow. The van suddenly swerved to a halt at the sight of the largest Hunter they had ever seen. And, of course, they never knew what a Hunter was. All they could do was film the coordinated attacks that the drones did to bring it down easily. At the sight of blood dripping down the claws of the drone they spoke to, the humans were shaking. The drone was completely unharmed through the whole thing and walked back over to them purposely.

"Our Emperor will be making an appearance at the Presidential elections in less than four days. Be there for more answers," the drone said. "I need to help clean up."

"Wait!" the reporter said. The drone turned to face him again. "Emperor?"

"Yes. The one who created all of us with our Empress. If you wish to meet with him, be at the Presidential elections. It is all I can say. I have work to do now. Good day," the drone said again and sped off. Now calls were made to reserve seats at the election. This same message and acting was being done all over the United States. Everyone wanted answers. Those answers were going to be given the moment everything was shown off in full.


	139. Chapter 139

For Alex and his ever growing family, the three day wait was peaceful. Even during the move to the new location for the elections, it was relatively smooth. As for the White House, everything was a train wreck. Call after call was coming in with complaints of unknown alien and viral activity. The populace was in turmoil for those that couldn't comprehend what was going on. The President was pouring over files and documents to either sign or dismiss to see what to do about the disputes. He was at his wits end.

Even worse was the call he got about his wife's family heirloom treasure. He didn't know what to say to her that it was being used as a form of ransom. On top of that, he was on the road to the destined location. He was in a specialized mobile transport for the short drive. He was on the phone with every major official that contacted him. He didn't know what to tell them or what to order them to do.

"Well, what do you want me to tell you, if these things are killing the bigger things?! We need all the help we can get!" the President scowled at the defensive official.

"They are killing civilians!" the man argued.

"From what I understand, these are civilians that have been causing harm to other civilians, too. I have seen viral videos of these things defending themselves against these people. I also have news reporters trying to track down my ass to see how badly I'm going to screw up! I can't really do anything until this election is done! Give me until after this next appearance. I have to get my speech ready," he sighed. At the sound of the disconnected dial tone, he leaned back in his plush chair with a form of defeat. When one of the blue-eyed, blonde haired secret service agents came over, the President gave an odd glance of question.

"Mr. President," the agent said and sat down. "I think I know how I can help you."

"Really? Well, I am open to suggestions," he said.

"I can get you in touch with the leader of this viral infestation going on," the agent said.

"Oh? What do you know that I don't?"

"Mainly that I am one of these viral infestations, and that it's how I can get you an audience," the agent said calmly. Now the President looked at the agent and started chuckling.

"Thanks for the laugh! I needed that!" he said. Then the agent reverted into one of Osiris's drones as a lesser version of Nick. Now the President's face went from grinning to complete and outright disbelief. The blond hair was a touch lighter from where it stuck out all over, but the eyes would always be the same black coloring to show it was a full drone. Alex had given the drone permission to make the man sweat.

"Practically all in your inner circle of protection are ones like me," the drone said carefully in its monotone voice. "We are ensuring that you reach your next place of destination safely. That is where our Emperor is waiting to meet with you to talk to you. No, he is not Robert Harrison. Robert is one that we hold in high regard, as he helped us come to this pinnacle point. He is also protected by my Empress. You may meet with her, too."

"How long has this been going on?" the President asked.

"How long has the Blacklight Virus existed?" the drone asked back. At the way the man's jaw fell, the drone seemed to smirk. "I am only three months old. There are others that are a bit older, but they are not here. They are with my Emperor and Empress. As I have stated, I can get you an audience with our Emperor."

"It appears to be mandatory, anyways," the President said dryly.

"Yes. He is also the one that has the Faberge Egg with the hidden treasure inside."

"What?!"

"You have heard me correctly. I will not repeat myself."

"But...I mean...okay. You told me that a good number of the men guarding me are ones like you? I just..." he blinked with disbelief. The drone looked over at three agents suddenly appearing and dropping their disguises. Then two scout drones simply materialized out of thin air. All of them were from Osiris's personal brood with Isis. The man in the chair began to shake. He didn't even see the scouts. "Am I your prisoner?"

"Hardly," the drone said with a small smirk. "We are doing our job and ensuring you reach your destination safely. That is what we are hired to do by you. It is what we are doing. We are protecting the populace from inappropriate misbehavior. And from unneeded threats. We understand how humanity works. Please enough of your kind, and we get support. That's what we are doing. We are even working in assisting with the homeless."

"The homeless?"

"Yes. We recruit them into our fold with pay, food, and shelter. We give them their lives back. We are not all heartless. We give everyone one chance. If they turn against us, that's it."

"What happens if they don't live up to the chance?"

"Death on the spot," the drone said calmly.

"You would commit murder?"

"No. They know what to expect when joining us. It is a contract. None of them have betrayed us so far. Many come from nowhere. We give them a second chance at a life of enrichment. Why would they wish to betray us?" the drone seemed to shrug. "As a drone, I never sleep. I never eat. I cannot reproduce. No drone can. We are the main offense and defense. We do not have names. We can be killed in various ways, but it is rare."

"A perfect machine of war..."

"Yes. That is what we are. Machines of war. But, we are also living organisms. We are viral mutations, but we can think and act. We only obey two beings in full."

"The head ones in charge. Right. And I'll be meeting them?"

"Yes, you will meet with them," the drone nodded. "In about an hour we shall arrive. We will leave you now so you can prepare."

"What do I do about any phone calls that I get about...um...your race?" he cringed.

"It's a portable cell phone you use?" the drone asked.

"It is."

"I can play secretary for you until we arrive," the drone said.

"I can do that, too," a lesser version of Kim said. "My form is that of a female. I may sound better. Allow me to do that."

"Thanks. As nervous I am, I appreciate it," the President said. He handed over his phone and sighed. "If my wife calls..."

"I shall make you available," the feminine-like drone nodded.

"And that reminds me. The family treasure..." he said.

"It will be discussed at our next destination. It is unharmed and intact. And, yes, it was us that took it. The replica is just as valuable, but it does not have the hidden chamber," the first drone said. The man nodded. When the cell phone rang to show an official, the feminine-like drone answered it expertly in its taken over body. It was one that the President didn't recognize, so it was fine.

"I'm sorry, but he is preparing his speech right now. I can answer your questions," the drone said in a rather expert manner and tone.

"It's too important! I need to talk to him now!" the man said over the phone.

"I see. Tell me. Can you look behind you? Thanks," the drone chuckled and hung up before the scream could be heard. "He will not call any further."

"What? What did you do?" the President asked.

"He might be recruited," the first drone said. "He was warned before not to bother you."

"You killed him?!" he grimaced.

"Was he important to you?" the drone asked.

"Well...it's just...he was doing his job!" the President said.

"Rest assured. We did not kill him. We are answering his questions in a peaceful way first. If he shows malice to us, then he will be killed," the drone said. _It was a complete lie, but the man didn't need to know that._  They would still keep the calls down to nothing, though. The phone was now checked through, and anyone that had called more than once was going to get a nice visit from a resident drone to get neatly removed and recruited into the fold.

The moment the mobile transport got to the destination, the President had just barely managed to make a speech. When he was escorted out, he tried to show that nothing was wrong. Alex and Agatha were already there waiting for him. Robert was busy talking to several of the main camera crew to see where cameras could be placed.

At the sight of Agatha, the President went completely still with shock. She was, as always, the most beautiful woman that anyone had ever seen. Alex was still wearing the suit he was able to clone into, and he had an arm around her waist. The smallest glance that he gave the human sent complete chills of fear down the President's spine. Every inch of his body was screaming that danger was near.

"My Empress," Nick said when it came over. "this is the President of the United States. He has made it safely."

"As I can tell," she chuckled in her ethereal tone. Now the human's jaw dropped. _She was the Empress._ From her articulate finery in the expensive designer gown of white cream to the gems and jewelry the decorated her form, it all fell into place. Her pastel blue eyes fell on the man's face, and Alex gave a small growl. "Ah, love, don't worry so."

"I don't like how he's looking at you," Alex muttered.

"And who dressed me up like this? Hmm?" she reminded him to make him smile. He kissed her hotly and moved in front of her to make a statement.

"Hi. I'm Alex Mercer. You may know me better as Project Zeus. Ring a bell?" Alex smirked at the man. At the sheen of white that now graced the man's face, he grinned. "Agatha is right behind me. She was supposed to be my antivirus. She's Project Hera."

"What?!" the President gaped. He knew of this project. He was given false reports the entire time that it was failing. Leopold had kept such information tightly under wraps.

"That fat fuck had everyone fooled, didn't he?" Alex snorted a bit of laughter. Agatha said nothing. She simply looked away and frowned. She was tense and very moody now. Alex noticed this, and he turned to hug her tight. "And I ripped him to pieces for you."

"I know," she said with a soft smile. "I should have done it, though."

"We'll make several clones of him, and you can have a field day."

"Promise?" she smiled a bit more. He nodded and gave her a squeeze. When she looked over at Robert walking over, she chuckled and let him hug her tight.

"We're all set. Oh! Good to see you," Robert said to the President. "I hope you have your speech ready. I'm honestly not sure what all I'm going to say."

"No need to say anything," she laughed softly. "And Alex promised to make clones of Leopold for me to kill off."

"If he does, I want one, too," Robert said with a small grin.

"I can arrange that," Alex grinned. "Anyways, who all is here now?"

"The reporters are lining up like kids waiting to get into an arcade room. They all want answers. Are we ready to meet with them?" Robert asked.

"I would think so. Are the real kids settled?" Agatha asked.

"They are waiting in the back room. Mr. President, it's good to see you, but we have a spotlight waiting for us now. Don't we?" Robert chuckled.

"I guess so..." the President frowned. "Oh. My wife's heirloom..."

"Do nothing, and you will be transferred to safety with your family and treasure. Got it?" Alex asked carefully. "You might see a bit of blood and gore, if the wrong questions are asked."

"You would kill people? Innocent civilians?" he asked with shock.

"Sir," Robert said with a sigh. "no one in this room is considered 'innocent' anymore. I used to think exactly like you. Before the country I loved decided to sack me for a form of false insubordination. Oh. I see you were never told?"

"They asked me sign a document to proceed, and I waved it! They were going to do this anyways?!" the President asked with a furious look. At Robert's nod, he sighed hard. "Did they follow through with this?"

"No. I left everything when this fuck up coerced me into joining," Robert poked a thumb at Alex. "And I actually like where I am. So, I'm staying put."

"Thank you," Agatha smiled.

"And thank you for giving me such a wonderful family," he smiled and hugged her. "Oh. Any drone that doesn't have black hair is a bit of a product of mine. Thanks to various breeders I was able to help make with her. It's a long story. Maybe next time I'll tell you about it."

"You were the one who helped?!" the President blinked.

"Yep!" Robert grinned. Then he looked over at who was walking over. "Oh. It's you three. The asshole, the prissy, and the tight ass."

"What? Father, I thought you'd be happy to see us!" Dionysus frowned. "And I am far from being prissy!"

"I'm a tight ass?" Apollo asked with dismay.

"Yes, I am the asshole," Hermes chuckled. "Dana, Aphrodite, and Athena are with the other Queens right now. We got here as quickly as we could."

"Are any of them pregnant?" Agatha asked.

"Dana is by a couple days, but the others are egg free. I wanted her to stay down there, but she insisted she was better off here with the rest. As you all know," Hermes smiled and accepted the hug. "It's good to see you again, Mother."

"You, too," she smiled and hugged her other sons. The President was completely floored by the perfection each breeder male held. When Thanatos and Lelantos walked over, she laughed and hugged them, too.

"Mother, is everything all right?" Thanatos asked.

"Of course, Thanatos! Lelantos! There you are," she beamed, and Alex simply watched them all cautiously. When Osiris walked over in the form of Commander John, the President waved him over silently.

"Hello, Sir! How can I help?" Osiris asked casually.

"Did you know about all of this?" he asked.

"Of course. I'm also her son," Osiris grinned and let his form shift to his true one. The man's jaw dropped at Osiris's larger grin. "Commander John was a traitor to you. I was chosen to become him, and, eh, fix him. The same thing happened to Lynette. My sister, Isis, is her."

"Is he going to piss his pants?" Dionysus asked. "I think he's going to piss his pants."

"Are you going to clean him up?" Hermes smirked.

"Asshole!" Dionysus snapped.

"Always!" Hermes beamed at him. Apollo shook his head and sighed.

"Children, behave," Robert warned them. "Go play with your sisters. Hermes, you go to Dana. Go on! Shoo!"

"Aww..." Dionysus pouted.

"Fuck off. Is that better?" Alex smirked. That got Dionysus grinning with a nod, and the three breeders moved off. "What are they doing here, anyways?"

"They insisted to be here," Agatha chuckled. "It is a bit of my big debut, too."

"What's this?" the President asked. She simply smiled at him and moved to see a reporter jogging over. The enthusiastic man slipped through security and seemed to stumble on seeing her. She stifled a giggle at that.

"Are you naturally clumsy?" she had to ask.

"Ah...well...um..." the man started. The President was about to call for security, but he paused when her hair suddenly came to life. Thanatos, Lelantos, and Osiris cleared their throats and stepped back. Hermanubis was playing guard duty with the other reporters, or he would have been bearing witness to everything, too.

"I'm sure you saw the viral videos, right?" she murmured, as a tendril now coiled around the reporter's form to haul him into the air. The President couldn't believe his eyes.  _She was an Empress. A very deadly being. And she was ready to rip this reporter in half with only her hair._

"Hera," Alex muttered softly in her ear. "he didn't even get to ask a question."

"Does it matter?" she muttered back. They were talking in such low tones that normal humans couldn't hear them. Robert heard them perfectly, though, and he walked over to rest a hand on her shoulder. A tendril moved to tenderly coil over his shoulders and squeeze.

"He's just a cub. Let him go, please," Robert smiled. She seemed to frown at him, but the tendril gave him a complete sensation of humorous agreement. She let her hair drop the reporter. Then she bent down to regard him.

"My name is Agatha. I'm also Project Hera. I'll let you live, but, if you say anything about this, I'll rip you apart limb from limb. If you ask any questions, none are to be about me. Do we have an understanding?" she purred out with a wicked gleam in her pastel blue eyes.

"Yes..." the reporter said with a complete sensation of fear. When the young man managed to back away with the help of a drone, she now turned to the President.

"As for you," she mused with a small grin. "We know you hired George to make clones for your own amusement. We know that you knew all about me. We know everything that you know. So, listen well. This is your first and last warning. You fuck with us, you and your whole family dies. Don't want that? Then do as you're told. We already got the fucks that fund these damned elections under control. They tried to fuck with us, and two of their six club members ended up dead and in our control. It was easy to find them."

"You found them?!" the President gaped.

"Easy to do when you can't control a virus," she smirked. "Anyways, I think, after this is done, I'll want to do some more shopping."

"We can do that," Alex nodded.

"Maybe more fucking, too," she murmured in his ear to hear him growl.

"I can arrange that," he chuckled. At the sound of gunfire from outside, her mood went from playful to completely livid. The drones already apprehended the man, but now there was only panic. "Aw, fuck. Looks like the speech isn't gonna happen."

"What?" the President asked.

"You know what? Do we have a Hunter nearby?" she asked.

"Yes," Lelantos nodded. "A rather large one, too."

"Let it loose, please," Agatha grinned. Thanatos howled with laughter and gave the order. Alex looked at her curiously, but she only giggled and led him and Robert outside. The President was kept inside for safety and escorted away. As the newly awakened Hunter barreled down the street towards the mob, the stunned humans watched her hair come to life.

As the Hunter leapt at them, the tendrils struck to coil around its limbs to ensnare it. When it howled with rage, several more tendrils shot down its throat to rip apart its innards. After it fell dead, the massive heart was neatly removed and handed over to a drone. Then Robert chuckled and looked at the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is my wife, Agatha. Yes, she is a viral mutation, but, as you can see, what better defense will this country ever have? You have now witnessed this for yourselves. And, just for the record, all of the other humanoid mutations that have been seen are also from her. Except for large ones like this that you all have seen. So, think about it. How much safer is our country now? Anyways, I bid you all a good day, and I'll answer more questions inside. And as for you," he turned to the reporter that was released. "you may ask a few questions about her, but think carefully on how you ask them. She's not happy with you at all at how you breached security."

"That tickles!" Agatha laughed at Nick when the drone moved to clean her hair of blood.

"I don't want you to get blood on this dress. We don't have another one," it smiled.

"Of course, of course," she sighed. After she was carefully cleaned up, she was led back inside. There were already appointments being planned to speak with her at length. Magazines were lining up to see what exclusive interviews they could get. Agatha's big debut had clearly struck a chord with society. Any that didn't appreciate her would end up killed. Her children would ensure it within seconds. No one would ever see their Empress in a negative light.


	140. Chapter 140

Two months had passed since that day. It was another month before any official Presidential oaths would be taken. As much as Alex wanted it all to be over, the President was able to convince him to let it continue. Right now, though, a television interview on a local talk show was about to happen. And Agatha was the main guest.

"If anything goes wrong, I will act to defend myself and prove myself. I will not hold back. You have been warned," Agatha told the talk show directors. The hostess of the show was a cheery blond that was quite popular with the people, and she promised that everything would go well. Agatha held a lot of doubts about that.

"Dead when the wrong question is asked," Alex growled. Robert wasn't with them right now. He was delegating a meeting with new defenses consisting of the massive drone army. What the officials didn't know was that the drones in other countries all over the world were still in hiding. They would come out once a full Global Defense contract was in place. Any major country could become a part of it, but the drones would refuse to attack each other. That would not become a part of the deal. If anything was instigated, the one requesting it would be killed on sight. That would also be listed in the contract.

"I'll be fine," Agatha smiled. She was wearing her white toga with her gold and diamond attire. When she was queued to come out, she walked out elegantly with her personal drone escort. None of them were disguised this time, but they were wearing clothing in the form of designer suits. Alex even removed his suit to be in his original attire. He didn't give a flying fuck about what anyone thought anymore.

"And here she is!" the hostess said and applauded her to get the crowd to join in. Two seats were prepared for Alex and Agatha. The drones didn't like the basic leather chairs and brought out the thrones that they brought with them. Alex sat down easily. Agatha was about to sit down to start up the questions and answers, but, of course, it wasn't going to be that easy.

"Crawl back to Hell, you bitch!" a man in the audience shouted.

"But, it was your governmental Hell hole that spawned me. So, you're saying I should go back to your government, right?" Agatha responded calmly. At this bit of information, the man paused. "And, as we're on the topic, it was your government that planned to kill me and sell off parts of me for you to eat and become safe from various viruses and illnesses. What do you think of that?"

"That's not true!" the man shouted.

"But it is. You want proof? I can give you a direct footage video uplink," she shrugged.

"How?" Alex asked.

"My memories before the bomb removal," she smirked.

"Oh...that's right, huh?" Alex snickered. Then he looked at the offending man. "If I were you, I'd watch your back. For the rest of your fucked up life."

"Um..." the hostess seemed to clear her throat to get the show back under control.

"I'm Project Zeus. Go ahead. Insult me," Alex dared. "If not, then sit the fuck down, and shut the fuck up."

The man was now visibly trembling when he sat back down. The glare Alex gave the man was a complete show of challenge. Alex was not exactly all talk. He was ready to act. The hostess had no idea that the Blacklight Virus was with them. She was about to panic, but Agatha rose up her hands, as she sat down to help calm the room. "Don't worry. Most of the time, he just likes to talk. Just don't provoke him. Anyways, what questions did you have?"

"Show us your tentacles!" a girl hollered. At that, Agatha looked over at her.

"Wow. That's a bit forward. Isn't it? That's like me asking you to show your breasts," Agatha said with a small glare. "However, the only way that I'll do that is if you come up onto this stage with us. Think you have the guts?"

"If you piss her off again, I'm sure our Empress can show everyone your guts," Nick muttered out. Agatha laughed softly and could only nod with a shrug.

"Aw, c'mon! Just show 'em!" the girl shouted again to rile up the crowd. At this, Agatha gave a small glare at the trembling hostess.

"I warned you this would happen. Not my fault," Agatha murmured softly. Then her hair simply came to life and shot at the girl to pluck her screaming figure out of the seat. Now she was screaming in a terrified way when she was dropped onto the stage when the tentacle retracted. Agatha didn't even have to leave her seat in the royal throne. It showed how regal she truly was when she did this. It was almost as if the girl was now being forced to grovel for forgiveness before her, but that was hardly the case. Agatha couldn't care less about the antagonizing girl. "So, girl, what do you think, eh? Do you want to see what else they can do?"

"Let her go!" another audience guest shouted. Then the line of scout drones became visible from where they stood in front of the small crowd to protect their Empress. She was never without a squad of drones. Panic began to ensue.

"Girl, I ask you again," Agatha said in a manner of purely royal authority. She was an Empress. And she was a high-ranking soldier. Her tentacled hair was ready to dart in to rip the girl to pieces. The aura she gave off was commanding and challenging. All of the cameras were on her. "Do you want to see what else my hair can do?"

"No..." she whimpered.

"Then go back to your seat. And, if any of this video is altered, I know where to find each and every one of you," Agatha warned the camera crew. "None of this is special effects. This is real. I warned all of you before I accepted the invitation to be here of the repercussions of situations like this. I knew this was bound to happen. Yes, I know this is live right now. I know this is being broadcasted on quite a number of stations..."

"So, this is live feed right now?" Alex mused.

"Yes," she grinned. Even Hypnos confirmed it in the link. He was watching the show.

"Oh, good. If that's the case, I'll make a statement," he said and stood up to address the cameras and the audience. The cowering girl was hauled back to her seat by a drone. The hostess was now fully ignored. She was warned multiple times that something could easily go wrong. "I was going to wait for the official Presidential speech...but why wait?"

"Really? You're going to say it now?" Agatha asked with a glowing smile. He grinned back and bent over to kiss her hotly in front of the stunned audience. Then he turned to address the human cattle in front of him.

"My name is Alex Mercer. My wife, and mate, is Agatha Mercer. We are killers. We are terrorists. Your worst fucking nightmares come true. We are all of these things. I am the Blacklight Virus. She was my antivirus. Together, we hunt. We kill. We fuck. We breed. And we are very adaptable to all of our environments. Any that try to fuck with us will find themselves dead. Any that try to form a resistance against us will get crushed. You will never know who will be taken over that's close to you until it's too late. Everyone is always watched. Want to join our growing army? Sure. Just remember. You get one fucking chance. You fuck up. You're dead. That's the only rule. Don't forget that."

His words sent vibes of complete fear through everyone that watched. Hypnos caught the footage and was now broadcasting the speech out everywhere.

"Father," Osiris said when he walked over to Robert.

"What?" he asked. A screen was flicked on, and now he saw the speech that Alex gave. Alex's chilling words had no effect on him at all from his mutual status with the hive and Agatha's endearing protection on being her personal stud. Instead of feeling afraid, he found himself smiling softly. "It's about fucking time he said something."

"Oh?" Osiris chuckled.

"You think I want people to stare at me after all this time?" Robert said to get his son laughing. "It's his turn to share the burden!"

"You would think so. Ah! Look!" Osiris grinned and flicked a channel to a news broadcast about the new speech.

"Is this a global threat? Or is it a hoax? Join us soon..." the reporter said, and more channels were flipped through. People were already shouting with disbelief at what was said.

"I don't care what he is! He got my brother a job!" a man said with a smile. "And my neighborhood's never been safer, too."

"Nuke them all!" another man screamed in a reporter's microphone. "Fucking bugs need to go back home to outer space where they came from!"

"If the government let them out, then it's only proof it's a global extermination of humanity! I'm going into my fox hole and never comin' out!" a heavy man in overalls wheezed as he ran to an old pickup truck. "I have enough supplies fer twenty years!"

"He said he's a terrorist! They're all terrorists! Blow him up sky high!" a woman shrieked. "Blow all of them up!"

"But these beings are intelligent life forms, too! We can reason with them," a blonde girl in braids said in a rather cute way. "And they protect us! It's only obvious that they love us. We should love them, too! If our government made them to help us, then they should stay."

"As we all can see, there are mixed reviews about it all over," a reporter said to the camera. Robert flicked the power off and looked at his son.

"What?" Osiris mused.

"Were any of those people drones?"

"Nope."

"Good. Honest answers, then. But...what the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Play stupid. My Emperor just said that Mother was his wife. Not yours. If you confront her, show no emotion. Easy enough," he chuckled. "You know what she is."

"I can say that she's married to both of us. Me for my humanity, and Alex for his viral tenacity. That can work," Robert mused. "But, he did say he was a terrorist. Ah! He's a terrorist when invading other countries for us."

"Go with it," Osiris grinned. "Anyone that fucks with us gets rolled, anyways."

"Very true," Robert said. He looked over when Isis skipped over and settled in his lap to cuddle him. "And hello! How are you today?"

"I'm good!" she beamed and reclined against him. "What are the plans?"

"The usual. Business meetings. Making sure your mother doesn't kill anyone. Make sure Alex stays reasonably amused. That sort of thing," he chuckled and squeezed his daughter with a solid form of fatherly affection. When his phone rang, he answered it casually. "Hello?"

"Robert!" Agatha said happily on the other end.

"Darling! How are you?" he asked. "And, I must say that one of our daughters is a bit too fond of me. What do you think?"

"Ah, she's just being playful," Agatha chuckled. "You don't mind that Alex called me his wife, right? I mean..."

"Love, you're married to us both. Why should I let it bother me?" he asked with a small shrug. He knew why she was bringing all of this up. He thought it was a great idea.

"And he said we were terrorists!" she sighed.

"To other countries that don't follow our rules," he said casually. At this news, he could hear her small chuckle of delight.

"Anyways, we are on our way back. And Alex is simply pleased at the new reign of chaos he just made. Go figure, right?" she laughed. Robert could only agree, and they disconnected. Isis was very happy at what was going on.

"She's on her way back. Osiris, take your sister and get me a schedule of the last few places to be at. Get Thanatos over here so I can go over with him on where to place drones and what to say to the crowds over this. And I want to know what the President thinks of all this, too. Surprisingly, to me, that man is far more lenient than we know," Robert said. Isis gave him another snuggling hug and let Osiris pluck her up from his side to settle in his lap.

"Well, we are safeguarding him, for one. We gave back the treasure we took. And, I also think he's tired of running a country when no one listens to him, anyways. At this point, he's only a figurehead for the United States. He has no authority. He just talks to other countries for us. I think he's tired of the roll," Osiris shrugged. Thanatos soon appeared to settle in a chair.

"You called?" the King chuckled.

"Did you see Alex's footage speech?" Robert asked.

"All of it. I approve. The entire hive mind approves. It's about fucking time," Thanatos snorted and reclined back in the leather chair.

"Hmm," Robert thought. "How many more Hunters do we have in a drugged hibernation? Do we know?"

"I don't think we have any in our general location. We can transport one," he said. Osiris and Isis were already informing the hive. Hermanubis was all over it.

"Good. I know we talked about it before, but I think we should go for it. Get the largest fucker you can to trash the Presidential sign in," Robert grinned wickedly with a rare form of boyish delight. "We may need to do an island transfer for any new ones."

"Ooh! We should get several!" Thanatos snickered.

"Think about three of them?" Osiris mused.

"Let's make it a challenge. Get six," Robert said with a small nod. Lelantos was now making a trip to the island with Hermanubis and Sigyn. The drones were cornering the biggest, nastiest Hunters they could find.

"I had a slightly better idea," Thanatos said. "We'll get the Hunters, but let's put them in places where humans get too curious. They can release the Hunters for us."

"I'm listening," Robert chuckled and found himself served a rather nice slice of steak. He was a bit hungry, too. Thanatos and Osiris glanced at each other. Isis kept quiet. Agatha wanted to test something to see what happened.

"Anyways," Thanatos said casually. "we're already getting the Hunters now. What I was thinking was, well, you know how insatiably curious humans are, right? Why don't we have a bunch of cages set up in various areas that have a very basic button push? We can have a small notice stating 'Please don't touch' right over the button. Even under it. You know that someone is going to push that button. It would be a beautifully inevitable thing."

"And, if it's a kid that does it?" Robert asked.

"Drones could be nearby to 'save' the victims and lure the Hunter away," Osiris said when he caught on. "It would show us as heroes. That would be easy."

"Then the ones at fault could be blamed for releasing such a dangerous thing!" Isis said with a small, sharp giggle. None of them failed to notice how much Robert was enjoying his meal. It easily confirmed what Agatha thought.

"So, Father," Osiris said. "how is that steak?"

"It's amazing! I've never tasted anything so good before!" Robert chuckled and finished off the last of it. When the plate was removed, he sipped a little wine to cleanse his pallet. He felt rather revived after eating it. "What was it?"

"Hunter heart. Lightly grilled," Thanatos said. At this, Robert stared at him with shock. "Mother's idea. She felt that with you being her primary stud that you would find it as enjoyable as she did. No, it won't kill you. But, eh, do you feel stronger?"

"Well..." Robert paused at this. "I do feel a bit more energetic."

"Good! Mother was right," Thanatos chuckled.

"But...that was really from one of those...?" he asked.

"Yes. What's funny is that other studs don't like the taste. You thoroughly enjoyed it," Osiris chuckled. "You mopped up every last bit of it."

"I did, didn't I?" Robert sighed and chuckled back. "I'm actually not hungry anymore. At least for right now."

"Really?" Isis asked with a smile.

"Of course, I'm not going to give up my hamburgers and other foods," he said. "but that was...is...surprising. I never bothered to eat it before."

"You can also camouflage. And you can do other things, too, from Mother," Thanatos said. "This shouldn't come as a surprise."

"True," Robert nodded. "I am her stud, so I do have benefits."

"That you do. Ah! A Hunter was just caught. A rather good-sized one, too," Osiris grinned at the hive message. Isis smiled and blushed at the squeeze he gave her.

"So, what's the plan now?" Thanatos asked. "What are we doing?"

"We are going to do as you suggested. We'll stage everything as we've been doing. Just on a grander scale," Robert nodded. "Get me a map, and we'll pick places to put them."

For an hour they went over everything. Locations were picked and dismissed if too far away. Cages were already being constructed to be built into the surrounding environment to camouflage them. When he saw Agatha walk in with Alex and Nick behind her, he was already out of his seat to walk up to her to hug her.

"Enjoyed your meal?" she chuckled and let a tendril of hair caress his shoulders.

"Surprisingly enough, yes I did," he chuckled back and kissed her cheek. "I saw the show, too. Hypnos made sure to notify everyone to have me watch."

"Like my speech?" Alex smirked and let Agatha snuggle back into his side.

"Spoken like a typical, maniacal asshole," Robert grinned wickedly. "Your speech didn't affect me, but I knew it affected everyone else."

"Well, you're Agatha's dog. You're naturally immune," Alex shrugged. At the scalding glare he got from her now, he sighed. "Fine, fine. Not a dog. A prime stallion horse."

"I'll take a horse over a dog," Robert said with an eye roll. She still wasn't amused, but she sighed and shook her head. "I could call you a goat with how often you fuck her."

"What?" Alex asked with a mild glare of his own.

"Boys..." Agatha warned. They both cleared their throats.

"Dillhole," Robert muttered.

"Test tube reject," Alex growled in a low tone. Agatha gave a louder sigh and hung her head, as she laughed softly. Osiris and Thanatos were wisely keeping quiet.

"Do I need to get Hermes in here?" Agatha asked. "Or Dionysus?"

"No!" Robert scowled.

"Keep that asshole and the rejected princess out of this!" Alex spat.

"Keep it up, and I'll call them," she warned with a smirk. They both scowled at her. "Or I could get the kids. What do you think?"

"You win. We'll behave," Robert said before muttering out. "Until this shithead starts up again."

"Oh, fuck off," Alex grumbled. At how Agatha gave him an amusing glance, he mildly cringed. She knew how to get ahold of the situation quickly now.

"Mother," Hermes said when he walked over. At the awkward pause he got, he studied the situation. Thanatos cleared his throat to show who called him.

"You're a schmuck," Robert growled at Thanatos.

"I just wanted to know what I can do with Dana. She's getting bored," Hermes said calmly. Alex gave an irritated sigh. Then Robert's phone rang.

"Hello?" Robert asked.

"I'm gonna find you," a sinister voice hissed over the phone. At this threat, the signal was traced quickly. "and I'm gonna kill you!"

"Okay. Who do you think you just called?" Robert asked calmly. "This is Robert Harrison. I was formerly a Commander for the United States army, and I'm currently a running electoral official in the Presidential ballots. Are you sure you have the right number? You do know that, right now, your signal is being traced as we speak for security measures of your threat. And you're likely found out about now."

"Oh, I know who you are," the voice growled. "I've been watching you!"

"Did you see the latest live feeds that have been going on?" Robert asked slowly. At this, there was a sudden pause. "I take it you didn't. Yeah. Nice knowing you. Bye."

He hung up just as the drones tore into the offending party at the other end of the phone call. Alex now gleaned over the new memories gained. Then he began to grin. He turned to look at Thanatos. "Send a Hunter to the main square. There's a house of idiots living there and needs to be exterminated."

"So, there was a rebellion?" Agatha smirked.

"A very piss poor attempt at one. Their main guy struck too soon. He didn't do his research properly. Now he pays the price for idiocy," he snorted. Thanatos was already sending out the orders. Then a surprising message was sent directly to Alex. He grumbled.  _:Cronus, what the fuck do you want? Yes, I know you're the first King, but you are not allowed to come up to the surface world.:_

_:Why not?!:_  Cronus finally growled.  _:I have to be there!:_

_:First of all, you're too much of an asshole. You have no common sense.:_ Alex said carefully.  _:Secondly, I know you too well. You will try to be with your mother. Despite the warnings. That's why. You will challenge me.:_

_:I would never challenge you.:_ He said reverently.  _:I vow on my life.:_

_:Hmm. Get another King and Queen to watch your base. I'll give you one chance. If you fuck with me, you're dead. Don't disappoint me. I won't give you a second chance.:_ Alex said with a chilling, mental glare. Agatha was already in a mental discussion with Rhea. The young Queen vowed to keep a close eye on her mate. Even Carlos would help with that.

"What bothers you about Cronus?" Agatha asked Alex softly and let him pull her close.

"He still wants to replace me. He doesn't say it, but I can feel it," he muttered and nuzzled her neck. "He knows I'll kill him. The moment he looks at you wrong, he's done."

"I doubt he will," she said. "Nick will be with me. My escort will be with me. Robert will be with me. You'll be with me."

"You  _know_  I'll be with you," he growled and gave her a lusty kiss. Then he looked over at Hermes. "Asshole, your daughter and her King will be here soon. You have to keep them busy. If Cronus so much as blows a kiss to your mother, I'm slaughtering him."

"Thanks for the warning," Hermes nodded. "I'll do whatever I can to help keep him amused and preoccupied. We don't know what will happen with a Queen losing her King. I don't want to find out. Rhea is my daughter, and I won't see her suffer. We'll play it safe."

Agatha only nodded, but Alex noticed something now.  _She was a touch nervous. She rarely ever got nervous now._  "Hera. Should I tell him to stay down below?"

"As the first King, he should be here," Agatha said and leaned into him. "I know I'll kill him, Zeus. If he tries anything, you know I would. It would tear me up inside, but I'd do what I had to in order to protect myself. I'll just have to trust him as you do."

"I'm not leaving your side for anything," he vowed and kissed her in a needy way. "We didn't break in our new room yet. Did we?"

"No," she said and got kissed again. Robert gave knowing nod to Alex. He fully understood what was going on from what Osiris was muttering to him.  _They had to keep Agatha calm at all times now. It was a main priority._  He watched Alex scoop up Agatha to carry her off as quickly as he could.

"I'm already working on something," Thanatos said.

"Good. We knew it was gonna happen. Didn't expect it like this," Robert admitted.

"Don't worry, Father. We're on it," Hermes nodded. Osiris and Isis were going to have a group of drones ready to receive Cronus and Rhea with her stud. Then he sent a single thought to the King.  _:Cronus, remember. Rhea is my daughter. I don't care if you're a King. You upset her once, and I'll join in on your killing blow. I will not stand aside and watch her suffer over any dipshit moves you do. This I can vow.:_

_:I know. The entire hive is watching me. I will prove my worth, and I will control my actions. Just keep me busy. Make it so I hardly have time to see our Mother. You know that keeping me distracted is the best thing to do. I just...I have to help the hive!:_ Cronus sighed.

_:I can understand that. Just keep to your vow.:_ Hermes gave a mental nod.  _:Because you know I'll be keeping to mine.:_

When the connection dropped, the vibe he gave off was something that Robert knew well.  _Hermes was acting every bit like the protective father._  He walked over to his son and placed a knowing hand on his shoulder with a nod. Hermes cleared his throat with a nod and moved to help set up a schedule of things for Cronus to do while on the surface. That distracted him neatly from the thoughts of wanting to kill the King off if Rhea was harmed in any way. He wouldn't be very nice to be around, if his daughter suffered. That much was already proven.


	141. Chapter 141

Cronus arrived on the surface of New York's port later the next day. He took in a deep breath of the fresh, unfiltered air. This was new to him from all the new scents that reached him. Rhea was guarded to the teeth with their drones. The first breeder couple that hatched for her and Carlos were also with them. They both appeared to have a form of Hispanic roots with brown eyes and lush, brown hair. Their skin was naturally toned, too.

"Mother, it's so different here," her breeder son mused.

"I know," she chuckled. "It is expected. We are set to meet with my Father and Grandmother. Cronus? Are you going somewhere else?"

"I have to," he sighed. "As much as I want to see Mother, even I know it's risky on how I may approach her. I know my limits, and I will respect them. I'm sure I'll meet up with you later at the hotel resort we are set to stay at."

"Okay," she nodded, and they kissed softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he smiled and squeezed her. He could feel the gaze of the hive link on him. He knew he was being watched. "Guard her well."

"Yes, my King," the breeder male nodded. His sister also nodded to show his order would be obeyed. When the limousine showed up for Rhea and Carlos, they moved to it with their entourage. When Cronus went to move to the limousine that showed up for him, he paused at a phone call that he got from his pocket.

"Hello?" he asked when he answered.

"Cronus!" Robert chuckled. "Your schedule should be in the limo."

"Thanks," Cronus chuckled back.

"We want you to oversee the placement of the Hunters when you get into the region. You have a month to set this up. You'll be able to meet with Rhea for the weekends, but during the week you have to do this. Yes, it's a lot of traveling, but the closer we get to where you are, the shorter the visitation travels," Robert said.

"That's fine. We both understood this," Cronus said with a small shrug. Robert disconnected after that, and the first King reclined to enjoy a leisurely two hour ride. All through the ride, he was given visual memory maps of where he was going, what he had to do, and where the cages were to be placed. He was glad that he was doing something for the hive. He knew that, if he missed Rhea too much, he could always run back to her side quickly. He'd have to do that, anyways, if she was to birth any breeders if she was with Carlos. Despite how disgruntled he felt about it, the breeders were needed.

As he traveled to a different location, Rhea was soon embracing Agatha, Dana, and Hermes. Dana's last son was able to claim a Queen for his own and was already set off to an underwater base near Germany. Dana was eight days pregnant with their next son. Ragland and Hedeyasu had a reserve supply of DNA on hand to help her keep giving birth to Kings. As much as Hermes would enjoy another daughter, he felt that sons would be more beneficial to help the hive. Alex didn't care what happened as long as the hive kept growing.

Any new Queens that were born in the main base were closely monitored by the drones. If any stepped out of line, Alex gave them a quick mental berating to put them back in place. It worked better than he hoped, and it made it so he didn't have to make trips back and forth to talk to them directly. The other Queens that went through Alex's conferences were also quick to help and cement the fact that the unruly Queens really didn't want him to talk to them face to face.

"Cronus is heading to where he needs to be," Rhea said.

"I know," Agatha nodded. At the sound of scuffling around a bend that led to a back alley of the hotel they were at, she paused and frowned. The mental command to wait was given, and she glanced over at Nick. The drone nodded and was quick to find the source. At the sound of a small whimper, she narrowed her eyes.

"It's okay. Come here," Nick soothed.

"No!" the sound of a small girl said in fear. "You'll just...beat me up...like others do..."

"Step aside," Agatha said when she heard this and walked over. At the sight of her, the dirty girl cringed in fear. "Young one, I am Agatha. A very powerful person. I want you to become my daughter. Will you trust me?"

"I..." the girl winced. "I have...a sister...and a brother...um...I can't leave them..."

"Where are they? I will claim you all," she smiled.

"Um..." she hesitated. "My brother...he's very sick..."

"Take me to them now!" Agatha said and rose up tall. "Get medical attention ready."

"Where are your parents?" Nick asked.

"Dead from a house fire. About a month ago," she trembled.

"Can you tell us your name?" Agatha asked. "Or how old?"

"Um..." she hesitated again. "I...I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. We are asking too much. Let us prove ourselves to you," Agatha smiled warmly. "My family wants to help you. If your brother is dying, then we can save him."

"Can you?" the girl asked. Agatha nodded, and her hand was taken to be led. Drones were already following in various ways from rooftops and through other shortcuts that were found. When the path got narrower, Nick stopped them.

"Another will help from here," Nick said and gestured to a drone. "Take this one to your family. We cannot have our Empress go through such an area."

"Empress?" the girl frowned.

"She does not know," Kim chuckled.

"Good," Eddie nodded. The girl was clueless, but she led the drone to where her two siblings were. At the sight of them, the report was given. All three were quickly claimed.

"The boy is an infant. Malnourished heavily. The younger girl is about two. She seems to be the same in her condition. We are surprised that the infant survived for this long. They likely stole milk or other things to help him. He seems to be fading now. The girl that led us appears to be six. We will take them all," Aden muttered.

"Let Alex know," Agatha said. "And Robert."

"Done," Robin nodded.

"Check for any others in this alley," she ordered next. No others were found, but several homeless were quickly befriended with food and a chance for a better life.

"Issa?" the small girl asked weakly to her sister.

"It's okay," she said. "I think...I think we're gonna be okay now."

"That you will," Agatha smiled. "We'll feed you all first. Then you'll get baths. No, you will not be separated. I have other children, too, and they all want to meet you."

"You do?" the older girl asked. Agatha nodded and led them to a small table that was set up just outside the hotel. When she saw her brother being taken away, she panicked.

"Don't worry. He needs medical attention right now. I promise you will see him later," Agatha said with another warm smile. "The two of you will also get health checks."

"Needles?" the small girl cringed.

"You don't feel them," Nick chuckled and served up some bite-size steak pieces with flavorful juice. The hungry girls wolfed everything down. When they looked for more, Nick laughed. "If you eat more, you'll get tummy aches. Trust me."

"Okay," the older girl said.

"After you both get baths, you'll get dessert," Agatha chuckled. The girls gasped at that promise, and they were quick to follow the drones. Now she looked at Nick and said, "Guard them at all times. Let the kids know of them. And what is the status on the infant?"

"We are injecting your blood into him now," Eddie said. "We can feed him safely after it takes."

"Good. Was blood taken?" she asked.

"Yes. We are getting blood drops from the other two now," Robin said. "From what they remember about their past, their home was destroyed by vandals."

"What?" Agatha asked with a hint of rage.

"There was a robbery. Something happened," the drone frowned.

"We'll look into it," Nick nodded.

"And, if you find the ones that did it, get answers," she growled. The drones were quick to move off. As Agatha moved to head back into the hotel to check on her new children, she ignored a slanderous remark shouted at her from a passing car. The driver would be dead and taken over within five minutes. She only smirked to herself. When she was in front of the hotel desk to check on what bills were due, she turned at the sound of screams. "If it's not one thing, then it's another! Ugh!"

"Demon spawn!" a crazed man shrieked at her. He was clearly high on something from the way he was staggering to stay upright.

"No, no! Wrong term. It's viral spawn. From the Blacklight Virus. Get it right," she sighed. She was about to say something else, but a black blur launched at the man. A waiting drone was quick to consume him and make the body run away in flawless performance.

"Sorry I'm late," Alex grumbled and walked over to her.

"Hello, my love," she smiled and kissed him. "We have new children. Three of them!"

"What?" Alex blinked at this news. Now the information was gleaned. "Okay. Find out what happened to their house. I'll meet the kids."

"Okay," she nodded.

"And don't worry about the bills. Isis has that covered," he said. She nodded again and let him escort her with her entourage to the elevators.

"Wait!" a voice shouted. She turned to see a reporter running at them. "Can you answer a few questions for me?"

"On what basis?" she asked demurely. It was a young man, from what she could tell.  _It was likely someone trying to get a good story to up his place in society._  She mused at this, as she studied his brown suit and greased back brown hair. The glasses he wore fit awkwardly on his face over his light blue eyes, but that was because he scrambled up to catch her. He would have been rather cute, but there was something off about him. He seemed to gape at the sight of her, and she sighed with a slight shake of her head. Her beauty in the flesh always caught many off guard. Alex stiffened, but she caressed his back.

"What exactly are you?" the reporter asked after he regained himself.

"I am his antivirus," she chuckled and nuzzled her mate. "This is Alex Mercer. You may know him as Project Zeus."

"Oh..." the reporter paled.

"And I don't talk to the press," Alex growled. "Beat it."

"Oh, come now! He was talking to me," she said and pat his chest lightly.

"Waste of time," he muttered and glared at the reporter.

"Do you have any other questions for me?" she asked the poor man. At how he seemed to be frozen, she sighed and shook her head again. "Maybe I should just film a small autobiography about myself and have Hypnos send it."

"That would be an idea," Nick mused. "Maybe we can do that."

"You think so?" she laughed softly. "We'll plan for it. Well, sir, it seems that you have no more questions for me. I'm very busy right now. I have new family to see to. Ciao!"

The reporter could only stare and watch her perfect figure turn and go into the elevator. He knew he was lucky to be alive. When he turned to leave, he paused at the sight of Thanatos in his face. The King cracked his neck and studied him.

"You're lucky that my Emperor let you live," Thanatos said. "I was supposed to be elsewhere, but I was told to come here, instead. To deal with you. I'll answer your questions about Mother. Yes, I'm one of her many sons. What do you want to know?"

"I think I'm good..." the man said. Thanatos blocked his path.

"I don't believe you," he smirked. Other drones now revealed themselves around him. "We'll find out our information about you directly. Right now."

As the reporter was quickly dealt with, Agatha was cradling her new son with a nursing bottle. The two girls had just gotten a good scrubbing and were very pretty girls with brown-blonde hair. The older girl had green eyes. The younger one had eyes consisting of one blue and one green. The baby had green eyes and a shock of dark brown hair. They were enjoying their chocolate éclair desserts with a childish form of gusto. They were promised desserts after their bath, and the small promise was easily fulfilled.

"Jim is okay?" the younger girl asked after she finished her treat.

"He's fine. Very hungry!" Agatha smiled. Nick took up the baby to burp lightly after the bottle was finished. Alex had just sat down when both girls moved to instinctively settle in his lap. He gave an eye roll, but he let his new daughters gain comfort in him. They had gotten secretive shots of blood as they bathed and didn't even know it.

"Okay. Since you're both my kids now, I want to know your names," Alex said. When his older kids came in, he gave a mild glare at them. "And the lot of you keep quiet. I'm guessing that Orion is still with his new wife?"

"What do you think?" Orion asked when he stepped in with Mellony. "When I heard new siblings, I had to stop by!"

"Siblings?" the older girl frowned.

"Yes. We are your brothers and sisters!" Andromeda beamed. "We were around your age, too, when we joined."

"You'll grow fast, too," Lyra smiled. Perseus chuckled and leaned against a wall to survey the room. Gemma now moved to sit down and beam at them with joy.

"Grow fast?" the older one asked.

"Yes. Now, your names?" Alex asked again.

"Oh. I'm Elizabeth," she smiled. "I'm called Issa for short."

"I'm Victoria," the younger girl said. "Our brother is Jimmy."

"Good," Alex nodded and regarded them evenly. "I am Alex Mercer. Many say that I am a very bad man. In many ways, I am. But, I am only bad to those that make me mad. Don't make me mad, and you all will be fine."

"He never gets mad at us," Andromeda whispered out to them with a wink. That got them giggling. Alex gave her a glare of amusement, and she shrugged at him. Orion grinned and kept an arm around Mellony. Gemma and Lyra were now talking with Elizabeth and even started to suggest different star names for her.

"Another name?" she frowned.

"Yes. We all get new names after a certain point," Gemma smiled. "It works out for the best. It shows you're really part of our family!"

"Really?" Veronica asked. Lyra nodded to her.

"My name used to be Emily," Andromeda chuckled. "I like my new name! I'm Andromeda now. It's very pretty."

"Yah!" Victoria giggled.

"But...I like my name..." Issa frowned.

"Hmm. Maybe there's one close to what you have," Perseus thought aloud.

"That would be nice," she admitted.

"We'll research," Orion chuckled.

"We could name the baby Nash," Perseus mused.

"Nash?" Issa giggled.

"I like that one," Veronica said.

"Nash it is," Nick chuckled.

"Would you like Maia, Veronica?" Gemma asked.

"Oh! Um...I like that," she nodded. "I like Maia!"

"Well...what names are there?" Issa asked.

"Hmm. We still have Alya, Capella, Carina, Cassiopeia, Lucy, Mimosa, Mira, Talitha and Vega left over. At least, from what I can recall," Orion said.

"I kinda like Talitha," Issa blushed.

"Then Talitha is your new name!" Agatha smiled warmly. Talitha blushed and found herself in tears of joy when her new family cuddled her up. Maia found herself snuggling into Alex again with her thumb in her mouth. He rubbed her back gently and turned to glare at whoever was now walking into the door.

"Protective Dad mode is back," Lyra mumbled with a small giggle. Osiris heard this and smiled with a nod. When he walked in fully, he waved at the new kids.

"My name is Osiris. Feel free to see me as a big brother," he chuckled.

"How many brothers and sisters do we have?" Talitha asked.

"Too many to count," Agatha laughed softly.

"You'll know exactly who family is and who isn't," Osiris said and sat down. His lap was soon occupied with Talitha, and he gave her a brotherly hug. When she started to cry a little, he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"He smells funny, doesn't he?" Andromeda grinned. That got a small smile and a shake of Talitha's head. "No? Then what is it?"

"Um...I remember...what happened..." she whimpered.

"About what?" Alex asked.

"The night that...um..." she frowned. Osiris frowned and went over what memories that could be gleaned from her. Blood drops were taken from the needle injections from their baths to keep them calm. He found the memories easily.

"So, did you wake up and see someone?" he asked.

"Yah," she nodded. "And he looked mean. I wanted to scream...but...he hit me..." she whimpered. The man that she remembered was wearing a mask, but he had an odd scent on him that her memories revealed.  _That scent would now be searched for._  Anubis recognized it as a type of very expensive cologne that many wore at casino parlors.

"Do you remember if it was only one man?" Agatha asked.

"I just saw one," Talitha sniffled and snuggled into Osiris's chest. When Isis appeared, she walked right over to her new sister and gave her a hug.

"Would you like us to find that one and hit him back for you?" Isis asked with a smile.

"Yah! And make him hurt bad!" she nodded.

"You heard her," Alex said.

"Tell me something," Agatha said. "Why didn't you and your siblings go to other family? Is there a reason?"

"No one..." she started and found herself shivering.

"No one wanted you," Osiris said softly and shook his head.

"They wanted to...split us up..." she whispered. "So, when no one was looking, we ran away. We grabbed Jimmy in his stroller."

"How long ago?" Alex asked.

"Three days ago," she said.

"So, that explains how Nash is still alive," Alex mused. "Give me my son."

"Here," Nick said. Nash gave a small whimper at the transfer, but Alex let him rest against his shoulder, as Maia was sleeping against his side. "My Emperor, did you want to recline in a bed? Would that be better?"

"No," Alex muttered. "I'm fine. Find the ones that did this to them. And find the ones that wanted to split them up. I want to know everything."

"We'll search," Osiris said, as he rocked his baby sister. When Thanatos walked in, he gave a nod of respect to Alex first to show he held no malice.

"That reporter was...interesting," Thanatos grinned and sat down.

"How so?" Agatha asked. Talitha moved from Osiris to Thanatos and settled in his lap. He smiled warmly at her and squeezed her.

"Can you...do something? For me?" she asked softly.

"Sure. What can big brother Thanatos do for you?" he asked warmly.

"In the house..." she said. "I had a teddy. It was from my Mommy. I mean...I have a new Mommy now...but..."

"I understand," Agatha smiled. "Thanatos..."

"Do you remember where you lived?" the King asked.

"Um..." she frowned and tried to remember. "It was a big house. With a tree. And...um...flowers. With a gate wall."

"Have a visual?" Osiris asked.

"Yep. Drones are looking," Thanatos nodded. "And no crying!"

"But..." she frowned. At the tickling pokes he gave her to get her laughing, he chuckled. When she yawned, Nick was able to pick her up and move her into a small bed that was placed nearby. The other two kids were quickly settled in their own beds, and Agatha was paying close attention to the link at what the drones were discovering.

_:The attack on their home appears to have been a mistake. When the ones realized that it was a mistake, they decided to vandalize and cause havoc when they were there. As though to cover it up.:_ Cronus said. He had his drones all over the mission to find out what happened.  _:As to who did it, we are finding out. There was a nanny cam that was missed in the search to keep them from being seen. As to how I was able to surmise it was a mistake, it's from the haphazardness of what the house looks like now.:_

_:Explain.:_ Alex muttered.

_:Common burglaries loot for anything and everything. Most of what I've seen is all vandalism. As through there was irritation and frustration venting. And, as I stated, a cover up. The house fire was put out, but a good portion of everything is still here. There is still blood in the main bed where the parents were murdered. Much of the crime scene is still there. No, they didn't die by the fire. They were killed in cold blood. Hypnos is getting the nanny cam now to survey it. It was hidden in Nash's bedroom.:_ Cronus said calmly.

_:If we find those...humans...:_ Agatha growled dangerously in the link.  _:I'm surprised they let the children live.:_

_:Mother, many let the young ones live to prolong their suffering.:_ Eros sighed.  _:It's a known fact. It shows how disgusting humans are to each other.:_

_:Find them. Now.:_ Alex ordered.  _:Anubis, you're sure you recognize the scent that Talitha remembered? Do you know where it originates?:_

_:I do, my Emperor. Only high-rolling men with quality tastes in life use it. Unless it's a cheap knock off. Not much else to say.:_ Anubis gave a mental shrug.  _:But, since this happened a month ago from what her memories show, we will work hard to get to the bottom of this.:_

_:Think a full day would be enough of a challenge?:_ Agatha chuckled. Several Kings pounced on the challenge. It would be seen to in full.

"Good. Let them find out what happened," Alex muttered. She moved to settle in her bed, and he moved to join her. At her soft smile, he said, "Yes. I like the kids."

"I knew you would," she chuckled softly.

"Cock blocks, but I like them," he smirked. She poked his gut and yawned. "Oh, Thanatos, what was up with that reporter?"

"He was trying to get information on you to, oh, spice it up," Thanatos smirked.

"Is that so?" she mumbled. Then she saw Orion and how perplexed he looked. "Orion?"

"Mom, you remember how I can still see ghosts, right?" he asked.

"Do you see one?" Mellony asked.

"Good question," Alex grumbled.

"I do. Two of them. The parents of these kids," Orion said. "Ah. I need a pen and paper. Quickly."

"Here," Nick said and handed over a pen and notepad. Orion wrote down a license plate number to give to Osiris. The breeder male gave a rather large, wicked grin at this.

"This will help. We'll help them gain revenge," Osiris nodded.

"That's what they want. After their murderers are removed, they'll be at peace. They know their kids are safe now. They are relieved that they are all safe and together," Orion nodded. "That's all they can help us with to track down their killers, but it should be enough. Oh. One other request. The nanny cam has their images on it. The parents, that is. They want it preserved for the kids to let them be remembered."

"Hypnos can do that," Thanatos nodded. Mellony smiled softly and got squeezed. Everyone wanted to help out the new family members. When Maia whimpered in her sleep from a nightmare, Alex moved to quickly pluck her up and let her settle between him and Agatha. She woke up in tears and snuggled into them. Alex sighed, but he knew it was going to take a couple days for the nightmares to fade out properly. He was ready to help with that, and so was Agatha.


	142. Chapter 142

It was two weeks later that anything would be done. The murderers were easily tracked down and killed off. Talitha, Maia, and Nash were growing swiftly from Agatha's blood in their system. When Talitha and Maia reached adult ages, they were given a portion of Alex's DNA to fully claim them into the fold. Nash had four more days to go.

"Dad! You should just give me a portion of yourself now!" he said. He had grown into a strikingly handsome young man with lush, brown hair, a square jaw and his green eyes always gave a hint of amusement when he found something funny. He tended to be a bit of a prankster, too. Hermes became fast friends with him when they plotted against Dionysus and any other unsuspecting family member. Whoopee cushions on chairs and water balloons from high places were their new favorite past times.

"No. You need to wait four more days," Alex growled. "Now shut up and behave."

"But..." he started and fell silent with a sigh at his glare. "Yes, Dad."

"I won't have a teenager taking my portion. You might not grow properly. It's a chance I won't take. By the time you get my portion, Robert will be sworn into office. Then he may give over everything to me behind closed doors. You need to be an adult by the time all of this happens. So don't argue," he warned. Nash could only nod at this.

"Nash, come here," Agatha said from where she was resting in the bed. Her son moved to her side, and she hugged him. "Talk to me, dear. What is it?"

"I hate being the youngest," he muttered. "They have access to cool stuff now."

"Aww, you'll be fine," she soothed. "Just a few more days, and you'll be up to par with them. Don't worry about it. Have you talked to Hermes to see if he would help you get back at them for teasing you yet?"

"You know...I haven't," he grinned.

"Ask your older brothers and sisters to help, too," she winked. He beamed at that idea and hugged her tight.

"Thanks, Mom," he smiled and kissed her cheek. She kissed his cheek back and let him go torment his sisters. She chuckled and let Alex move to hold her.

"The cock blocks are gone," he muttered and kissed her hard.

"Four days until this is over?" she grinned.

"Yes. Finally," he muttered again and pulled her closer. As he busied himself with her, Robert was going over strategic placements of Hunters with Cronus over a phone call.

"We need two of them by the main stage," Robert said.

"That's covered. We have another four that are waiting for cages," Cronus said.

"We could place one on the outskirts of the city," he mused. "Two could be done along the inner monorail track. The last one could be placed near the national park about three miles off. We need the final two to be placed as close as possible to the main stage."

"We got those two covered. I'll work on the other four," Cronus chuckled.

"You do that," Robert chuckled back, and they disconnected. He reclined back in the chair and sighed heavily. "I want this to be over."

"It will be over soon, Father," Osiris said from where he sat across from his desk. "A few more days and that's it."

"I know. I just keep feeling that it's still too long," he grumbled.

"You really miss Mother, don't you?" Osiris frowned.

"I'm away from her for hours on end now. I can't stand it," Robert cringed. "I just feel like, well, if I'm not with her after a time, I start to worry about her."

"Well, that's instinct talking," Osiris nodded. "I can understand instinctive drives."

"I'm sure you can. This is all new to me. Then again, when I was first away from her to collect my things with Dana in the very beginning, I was struggling to get back to her then, too. I just feel as though I have to get back to her. To protect her."

"I see," his son sighed. "Well, if we look at today now, we've got everything done. Mother is about a ten minute drive away. Let's go see her!"

"Do you think we can?" Robert asked.

"Yes. My Emperor is a touch disgruntled at this, but Mother wants you close now to help you feel better. So, let's go!" Osiris chuckled. Robert muttered out a small word of thanks, as he got led to the limo. Just as he was about to enter it, something stopped him. He grabbed Osiris and hauled him back.

"The limo is bugged!" Robert growled. "I heard the signal output."

"You did?" Osiris blinked.

"Is one of ours in the car as the driver?" he asked.

"No. It's empty," his son seemed to mutter out.

"If we opened the door, the bug would have gone off and activated," Robert said and pointed at the handle. "Who drove this car here? Do we know?"

"Not yet. But, we'll find out," Osiris nodded.

"Good," Robert said. "I want another limo here to take me to see Agatha."

"Let's go a different way. Hop up," his son said and exposed his back.

"Are you serious?" Robert asked.

"Next car ride will be about an hour from traffic. Trust me. We don't want to wait," Osiris advised. "And don't worry. No one will laugh at you."

"Alex might," he muttered. Osiris bit back a laugh, but he still kept his back offered. Sighing with defeat, he hopped up into a piggy-back style way. Osiris had no problems carrying him at all, and he was soon running up buildings in a natural way. Robert just kept his eyes closed through the whole ordeal.

"We're here," Osiris said and set him down.

"Good. The next one I want to ride is your mother to get back some of my pride," Robert grunted. Osiris barked out laughter, as they walked into the hotel. Drones were already searching for the ones that delivered the car. A drone bearing Robert's face and form was quick to gain access to the bugged limo, and it began to spread partially false information through the microphones. The drone was going to brag over the special deliveries around the town with explicit instructions on not to tamper with them for the populace.  _The Hunters now had to be placed no matter what._

"Let's see how fast Cronus moves his ass," Alex smirked. Osiris was sitting next to him, and Robert was getting comforted by Agatha. A tendril of her hair was gently squeezing his shoulders to console him. At the sight of two Hunter heart steaks coming over, he was quick to tuck into his platter with her.

"I'm still amazed at how good this stuff is!" Robert said.

"You think?" she giggled and found Alex sitting behind her to pull her into his lap on the bed. Robert didn't even care. As long as Agatha kept a tendril of hair around his shoulders, he felt that she still protected him and cared about him.

"And no others like this? They don't know what they're missing," he chuckled.

"I'm sure," Alex muttered. He sighed at the caress she gave his viral chest.

"You worry too much," she muttered to her mate.

"I have every reason to. They are bugging our cars," he growled.

"I'm glad I heard the signal," Robert sighed.

"But, how did you? The signal wouldn't have gone off until you opened the door," Alex said. "So, it makes no sense to me on how you heard it."

"I heard a faint, buzzing pulse. As though it was on standby," he tried to explain.

"Ah. A sleep mode," Alex mused. "Clever."

"No kidding," Robert sighed and let a drone take away his empty plate. "How is everyone at the main base?"

"They're doing well. I've been mentally berating any new Queen that gets out of hand. It works like a charm. If any hold doubts, the other Queens I spoke with step up. Frigg does that constantly," Alex snickered. Agatha clucked her tongue. She was pregnant with drones now, but she noticed how Robert seemed distressed. From what she sensed from him, she sighed.

_:Love, he needs to be with me. He's truly stressed.:_ She frowned and glanced at Alex.

_:Really? Ugh. Fine. Let him fuck you. Hmm. We aren't too far off from where Cronus is now. I'll run over and give him a surprise visit. Running is faster than driving for me. I'll be back in a couple hours.:_ Alex mused. She smiled, and he kissed her passionately. "I'm going to do a surprise drop in on Cronus. Commander, you can sit here and play as guard. Maybe be her toy, too. Whatever floats yer boat. Anyways, I'm going to go fuck with Cronus."

"Have fun," Robert nodded. "Oh, smack Cronus upside the head for me, will ya? He's been an asshole to me lately. Hermes is supposed to be the asshole. Not him."

"Cronus is just a dick, but I can do that," Alex grinned. When he left the room, Agatha pulled Robert into her arms. Her empty plate was moved aside for a drone to take away, and he sighed with relief, as he rested with her.

"Missed me this bad?" she asked.

"Yeah," he swallowed and pressed his face into her neck. "I miss you too much now. I just...want this shit over and done with. I think I finally understand why the President is willing to give me his job! It's a full pain in the ass to deal with."

"Darling, all of this will be done soon. We're so close now! Don't give up," she smiled warmly at him. He could only nod at this. "Now take off that suit. You don't need it."

"That I don't," he chuckled, and a drone was quick to help him undress. Now that he was able to stabilize his mental thoughts in full, Alex was running with Osiris and Hermanubis. Lelantos was soon joining them in the sprinting run.

"I thought you were on the island?" Alex mused.

"The Hunters are here. So am I," Lelantos grinned, and they coordinated a jump perfectly over several large rocks. They had already cleared the city in less than five minutes. At the sound of a helicopter, Osiris found himself laughing.

"Grab the ladder. It's Isis," he muttered to them, as they ran. Sigyn was also on the helicopter to hold the ladder steady, and the four of them took hold of it.

_:It's faster.:_ Isis giggled at them.

_:Much.:_ Osiris agreed. The four of them were dropped off just outside the city boarders. A squadron of drones was already waiting. Alex mentally scanned the link for anything strange, but everything was fine. He had been monitoring the link quite a bit now.

_:Father.:_ Loki said to him.

_:Hmm?:_ Alex asked.

_:When can I come up to play?:_ He asked.

_:Maybe after all of this shit is sorted out. You and your sister are too valuable to be in any danger. Same with your other twin pair. Without you four, I have no idea what is going on in the link. I won't be able to hear your mother. Your lives are a priority.:_

_:Wouldn't it be safer if we were with Mother?:_ Loki asked now.

_:Hmm. Ask her what she thinks.:_ He said. Agatha was already listening in.

_:Zeus, I think they have a point. As much as the base is protected, it may be safer to bring all of our important children to us. We can keep a closer watch on them to protect them.:_ Agatha said softly.  _:We have Dana here with us. Quite a few of the others are starting to leave the base, too. Sure, none know where we are, but that could change. We may want to see about slowly transferring everything from that base to the surface. Or to another location. Actually, I think the base can be moved!:_

_:What?!:_  Alex asked with complete amusement.

_:It can be done with the right equipment!:_ Agatha giggled. Now Alex could only imagine what the hidden base would look like submerging from the ocean depths. _It did have a rather spaceship-like design to keep it compact and able to work with various pressures of the ocean._ It made him wonder now. Then his thoughts went to that alien DNA. He was overly curious about what it could do, but it also advanced the Hunters to a dangerous degree.  _They had formed their own hive link._ He didn't like that. But, he did wonder what the DNA would develop into on its own.  _That was something to play with after all of this was done._  He was itching to see what he could do with it, but he wasn't planning on bringing that little gem to the surface, either.  _At least not right away._

The drones were now busy getting equipment to raise the hidden base to the surface. He was now toying with the idea of the other bases doing the same thing.  _It was risky, but it could work. It would cause even more world-wide panic on a broader scale._ He was starting to favor the idea completely.  _Humans assumed they came from outer space. Why not fuck with them a little more to make them think they're right?_

_:Hera, what are your thoughts on this?:_ Alex asked her.

_:Hmm. We can work on that after this election is done with. We have so much shit going on now that even I'm still trying to figure things out!:_

_:I know it.:_ Alex chuckled. She leaned into his mind and sighed.  _:Hera? What is it?:_

_:I miss you now.:_ She admitted.

_:You're pregnant with my drones. I know. Isis got us here with a helicopter. We'll be back just as fast.:_ He vowed. She gave a mental nod, and he let her remain against his mind. Just knowing that she was watching what he was doing seemed to help him cope by being away from her. He planned to have this done whenever he was away from her now.

"My Emperor," Hermanubis said. "Cronus is just ahead."

"Good," Alex nodded. He walked up to the King and cleared his throat. When Cronus turned around, the look on his face was priceless. "Hi. I was in the area. I want to see what all you've done. Impress me."

"Of course," Cronus said and cleared his throat. Alex smirked at him and crossed his arms over his chest. He was now shown where the cages were being set up with roped off areas to keep curious humans out.  _As if it would help._  Several drones in soldier guise were calmly patrolling the area. There were even drones in local police uniforms that were doing the same thing. Alex was shown how the Hunters would remain drugged up until the button was pressed to release them. A wake up drug would be injected into them at the button press. That had him grinning with the ingenious of it.

"Hypnos's idea?" Lelantos chuckled.

"Yes," Cronus nodded. Both Kings remained neutral around Alex. _If they wanted to live, then they had to._  Alex scrutinized every detail that Cronus laid out before him.

"Seems like you have everything in order. Good. You're proving your worth to me. Keep it up," Alex nodded. Cronus actually felt a touch of pride now. "I was thinking of something being under the stage, but that might be too much."

"You'd be endangering Mother," Osiris said. "As much as she could fend for herself, she'd be pissed off at you."

"That she would," Alex sighed. "It would be fun, though."

_:Zeus, you forget that I'm still here.:_ Agatha warned lightly.

_:Come on, love! Even you know that it would be funny watching humans scrambling for safety after stating they can kill anything!:_ Alex snickered.

_:True. But you must remember, dearest. If I'm fully at risk, then there will be Hell to pay by the kids. Not to mention any of our elite drone group. Just think about it.:_

_:Okay, have you forgotten that I'd be standing right next to you? Did you think I would let you have all the fun and glory?:_ Alex chuckled at her. That got a mental shake of her head with a small touch of laughter.  _:Am I wrong?:_

_:No, no. You are right.:_ She laughed softly. Then a bit of shock was given from her. Alex's smile vanished. _Robert just did the unthinkable. He kissed Agatha._

"I have to go. Now!" Alex seethed with an unblinking hatred. His truce with Robert was in danger of shattering. Hermanubis was at a loss for words. The entire hive mind was shocked.

"Father!" Hermes said when he barged into the bedroom. Then he paused at how his father looked. Robert was shaken up by what happened. Now Hermes studied his father's thoughts to unravel what happened. "Wait. It was an accident?"

"Yeah..." Robert swallowed. He actually felt that he crossed a very dangerous line. He knew his life was hanging by a thread. "I went to kiss her neck...and she moved...and..."

"Okay. It wasn't a full kiss," Hermes said. "But, now my Emperor is livid. He needs to know what happened. Mother..."

_:Zeus, it was purely accidental. It was much like the chaste kiss I gave Apollo at first. Robert went to kiss my skin, and I moved for my lips to press against his. It wasn't a true kiss.:_ Agatha managed to reach her mate when the initial shock finally left her. Alex was still trembling with rage, but he knew she was being truthful.  _:Yes, it caught me by surprise, but it wasn't intentional. I was going to ask him something and it happened. I vow it will not happen again. Even Robert is in complete shock.:_

At this news, Alex cringed, but he gave a mental nod. However, he still needed to be with her now. Osiris left with him. Hermanubis and Lelantos were close behind. Cronus could only sigh at what happened, but he knew better than to say anything. The rage he saw and felt from Alex up close easily scared him. He remembered what the pain felt like when he was severed from the link.  _That pain could easily come back._  No one wanted to be on the receiving end of Alex's anger.

He was quick to speed back to Agatha's side. He said nothing through the whole helicopter ride. He ignored everyone until he got to Agatha's room. She was right there standing in a robe in the doorway to hug him tightly to her. Robert was still in the room and partially dressed. He refused to leave. He wasn't a coward and wanted to prove himself.

"I know it was an accident," Alex muttered and pressed his face into her neck. "It won't happen again, right?"

"No. It won't," she whispered. He knew she was telling the truth. When he saw Robert, he saw the worry lines on the stud's forehead. He saw even further that it was an accident by the tense mood that was shown.

"Fine. You're forgiven. For now," Alex mumbled. Robert only nodded. "Good thing you still had the balls to stay put."

"If I ran, it would show I was guilty," Robert smirked. "I am not guilty."

"I figured," Alex nodded. He managed to walk over to shake his hand with neutrality. "Don't let it happen again, if you value your life."

"I think my kids would kill me first," Robert sighed. "Hermes ran in right after it happened. He was shitting bricks."

"I was not," Hermes scowled from where he stood.

"Well, you're full of it, anyways," Alex said. He was trying to calm down, but it was barely helping. "Everyone but Agatha needs to leave."

"We'll be in asshole's room," Robert said. Hermes seemed to chuckle at that and led them out. Nick was standing just inside the doorway to the bedroom. Alex glanced over, but he nodded. The drone would help keep others out. Even the elite guards were in the main room to help with that. Once they were alone in the bedroom, Agatha took off the robe she had placed on. He ran his hands over her and scooped her up into his arms. She was still growing in her pregnancy, but that didn't bother him. He felt that he needed to reclaim her.

"I love you, Hera," he muttered.

"I love you, too, Zeus," she whispered and let him kiss her in a rather branding way.

"We're taking a shower," he growled and nipped her neck as his viral clothes peeled off.

"Do you think you can?"

"One way to find out," he grinned and carried her into the bathroom. As he tried and succeeded to take a simple shower with her, Robert was being glared at by Hermes, Apollo, and Dionysus. He just groaned and hung his head.

"We almost lost you," Apollo said.

"It was an accident!" Robert scowled.

"Yeah, we know it was," Dionysus sighed. Osiris and Hermanubis were trying to think of ways to keep it from happening again.

"Well, this puts a damper on everything," Lelantos frowned. Thanatos was soon walking in to sit with them all. There was only one thought on his mind.

"Did you enjoy what you experienced?" Thanatos asked.

"Truthfully, I was in too much shock to even think about it," Robert admitted. "As much as I want it to happen again, I also don't. I like keeping my life."

"We like that idea, too," Apollo nodded. "I have a feeling that, if you die, you'd be killing us off. We are your strain. If our Emperor feels that he can't trust you, he may feel the need to wipe all of us out. So..."

"You mean...he would destroy everything to...?" Hermes seemed to gape with his eyes wide. Now he looked at Robert with disbelief.

"I won't let it happen again," Robert promised.

"Please don't," Dionysus said. "I worked hard to get to where I am now."

"We all did," Hermes said. Osiris and Isis walked in now with Hermanubis and Sigyn. As the females went to hug their father, the other breeder females had soon shown up to do the same. The entire link sent a sensation for him to watch over himself. Robert could only nod. It was advice he'd be listening to for the rest of his life.


	143. Chapter 143

Four days came and went. Nash finally got Alex's part and got tackled by his brothers and sisters in celebration. Robert had settled back into his easy routine as normal. It was as though his accident had never happened, and they all wanted to keep it that way.

"Ready to become President?" Thanatos asked with a grin.

"Nope!" Robert smirked and got the King laughing. "I'm handing that responsibility to Alex. It's what he wants."

"Actually, you may be needed to keep the title. My Emperor would need to work in the background. You would be needed to play as distraction," Thanatos chuckled.

"Fuck that! Use a drone of me," he scowled lightly.

"That could work. But, it still means that you would have to stay as President."

"I don't want to be the President!"

"You don't have to do shit. We'll let drones do all of that for us. That is something that's simply a given. You tell them what to do and it's done. You'll never have to step foot in the White House, either. Although, it would be fun to fuck in the Oval Office," the King mused.

"Damn it, now I'm going to have to try that!" Robert grumbled and got him laughing.

"The White House could become a designated breeding ground. But, it's a well-known location. We'd have to hide everything underneath it," Osiris said when he walked over to sit down. "Anyways, everything is set. Cronus has drones set to watch over each Hunter location. The moment the Presidential speech starts and finishes, we will be ready to open those areas up to the public discreetly. And, yes, there is a fucker hiding under the stage."

"Good. Make sure I'm out of the way," Robert grinned. He got up after that and let his son lead him to where Alex and Agatha were waiting. A fresh set of breeders were already moving about helping set things up. It was almost show-time.

"Fresh recruits are good to go. Everything is about ready to go live," Alex mused.

"The Hunter is waking up downstairs," Robert muttered.

"Excellent," Alex nodded. "We can give it about an hour. It's a slow drug that was given. Hmm?"

His attention was diverted to Perseus walking up to him swiftly. He looked rather perplexed now, and Alex was actually intrigued at his thoughts. At the look on his father's face, Perseus sighed. "Yeah. I fucked her. She's...um..."

"Okay. We'll monitor her. Do you plan to stick with her now?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. We both agreed that, if something happened, it's for the best. Ragland said he'd be up soon, too, but he doesn't really want to leave the lab. Hedeyasu was willing to help out, too, but Asuna also needs him close," Perseus shrugged. Alex thought and contacted Hariti.

_:My Emperor, we are made aware of the situation. We can send up a small lab kit, and I can walk you through how to use it. It can help until we figure something out. Yes, I know of the base possibly being lifted. Sensitive equipment is already being strapped down, but we are a bit worried about how the water filtration systems may work. We can possibly shut them down and carefully bring them back up.:_ The female said in a form of deep thought.

_:Hypnos may have some ideas. Consult him.:_ Alex said. He looked over at Loki walking over with a small grin. Pontus was right behind him. Their twin sisters were being protected by other drones and breeders that were with Agatha. "You both need escorts at all times!"

"But..." Loki frowned.

"No. Don't fight with me," Alex warned. "Where is your fucking escort?"

"We sent them away," Pontus sighed. At Alex's stern order, the drones were back. _And this time they weren't leaving._ Osiris pursed his lips together to keep from laughing. "Anyways, we came over to see if there was something you wanted us to do."

"No. Go back to your mother. A Hunter is about to wake up, and it's right beneath us. You two need to be with your sisters. If it was up to me, you'd both be back at a hotel or sitting at the base. Now go back to her. Perseus, go join them. If any others try to come up to me that isn't a King, a breeder, or a drone, they will get sent back to wait with Agatha. Now go!"

"Yes, Dad," Loki sighed. Alex shook his head and gave a mild glare at Robert's chuckle.

"You have to admit that it's funny as hell," Robert grinned. Alex flipped him off as a response. Osiris snickered now. After another moment, they started to talk about where the Hunter would come up. As they started to decide where to stand, Agatha was being made presentable for live television again.

"Nick, stop it!" she laughed at the drone's pampering.

"No," it chuckled and hugged her. "We are almost done at long last. And I told you both that my Emperor would send you back."

"Shut up," Loki muttered. Agatha chuckled and let a tendril of her hair coil around her sons affectionately. They both seemed to sigh at it and calm down.

"Don't worry," she soothed. "Everything will be fine."

"I hope so," Pontus frowned. "With us being exposed, it puts a target on us."

"Ah, but you all can protect yourselves by becoming your would-be killers," she grinned softly. "I have other ways to defend myself."

"How?" Hermes asked. Dana was standing by with their seventeen-day-old son. He looked almost exactly like Hermes, save that he had Dana's hair coloring of dark brown with her eyes. He was just as tall as his father, but he held much of his mother's intellectual insight. He glanced at her with a small frown. Dana seemed to shrug, but she got a grin in return. Like his father, he was a bit of a prankster, too. A Queen egg was waiting in the hotel room for him to bond with the moment he turned eighteen days, and it was heavily guarded with drones.

"Well, I found out by coincidence that my hair, when it makes my shield, is bullet-proof," she grinned wickedly. Now there was a pause with those around her. Alex was suddenly at her side at this news. He was furious, but not at her.

"Who shot at you?!" he demanded.

"Love, the moment the bullet bounced off, my hair was already ripping out innards like a child opening a piñata," she giggled evilly. That had him look at her with a bit of his own sadistic grin. He still didn't like that she was shot at.

"When did it happen?" he asked and pulled her close.

"Just the other day. You were finalizing a few things with Cronus on Hunter placements," she murmured and sighed at the massage he gave her neck. "I was leaving the hotel to do some shopping, and someone in a car pulled up to us. The moment I saw the gun, I shielded myself. But, you want to know something funny?"

"What?" he asked and nibbled her chin.

"I was able to split my hair. As I shielded myself, I had a couple tendrils slip around and slaughter him," she grinned. That had him laughing. "Then I took out the rest in the car."

"Sorry, my Emperor. I tried to intervene," Nick sighed. "We sent other drones to remove where the threat came from. I will not fail in my service again."

"You didn't fail," she smiled and hugged her personal drone protector tight. "You were contacting places for me to visit. You did fine."

"If you say so," Nick said softly. She nodded and released the drone to let it go about what needed to be done. It was going to be far more alert, though. She even noticed how her personal entourage seemed to snap into complete refocus.

Agatha yawned and found herself getting moved to the main meeting area. A crowd was already in place, and it was massive. Drones were hidden in the thick of it. And, on top of all of this, the button to wake the Hunter in the central park location was pushed.

"Dude! It says don't touch!" a girl said to the guy next to her. They both appeared to be in their late teens and were out on the town while the Presidential speech was happening. The girl had short red hair, green eyes with freckles, and a slender build in her black shirt and lightly torn pants outfit. A set of worn sneakers completed her outfit. The guy looked rather scrawny with beach blonde hair, brown eyes, and a constant smirk on his face. He was wearing beige shorts and a white shirt. He had sandals on his feet that looked more like flip-flops than anything.

"Okay, you know it's gonna be pressed. What's gonna happen? A unicorn appears and farts a rainbow at me?" the guy smirked. Before the girl could stop him, he pressed the red button. Then the wall crashed down to reveal the Hunter waking from the drug that was injected into it. "Um...uh..."

"Oh, fuck..." the girl whimpered. The Hunter roared and leapt at them, but it found nothing. Three scout drones were waiting nearby just for this and pulled the shocked humans out of harm's way. They were too stunned to see what happened.

"Where the fuck did you come from?!" the guy gaped at how the drones neatly swarmed out of hiding. Then he paled at the sight of a drone in high military dress.

"You saw the warning on not to press the button, right?" the drone asked gruffly.

"Um...well..." the guy seemed to mope.

"What is one of those fuckers doing here?!" the girl asked now.

"Military defense. It was a project. We were checking to see how much we could trust the general public with simple orders," the drone said with a smirk. Then he looked over at how the drones purposely let the Hunter get free. "Shit! Get the civilians out of here! Now!"

"Look at what you did!" the girl hissed at the guy. "I told you not to!"

"Shut the fuck up!" the guy snapped at her. At the hurt look she suddenly showed him, he scowled. "Aw, come on, Mandy!"

"No. I'm done. Too many times I tried to work with you. After this...fuck it," she whimpered. She stormed off right after that. She was wiping tears away from her eyes, as she continued to march off, and she didn't even realize that she had stumbled into a secured section. Nash was lounging around in this area, since it was a safe area from the Hunters that were about to appear, and he noticed her.

"Are you lost?" he asked with a small grin.

"Huh?" she blinked at him and paused.

"You look like you just either broke up with someone, or you got told off and didn't know where you were going. Either that, or you're drunk," Nash said from where he stood. "Could be any number of reasons how you got here. I'm surprised you weren't stopped."

"Who...?" she blinked at the gorgeous guy she just found.

"The name's Nash. I'm a kid of Agatha's. The pale woman in the news," he grinned. "Anyways, what's up with you?"

"Um..." she winced. "My new ex-boyfriend pushed a red button, and I said not to. He shouted at me when I told him he should have listened."

"I see," Nash thought, as he studied her. He even pursed his lips to keep from laughing outright at what happened with her situation. He thought to the hive link, and Dionysus appeared. She blinked at the sight of him now.

"You're now our guest! Come!" the breeder male grinned.

"What? I mean..." she flustered. Nash chuckled a bit, but he wasn't really interested in her. She was being looked at as a potential female for a breeder male. Agatha was still waiting to make her appearance, but Robert and the almost retired President were busy on the main stage talking. Alex was waiting with her to make his grand appearance. When Agatha looked over at the trembling girl, she smiled very gently.

"Hello. I am Agatha. I understand that you have a situation?" she asked softly.

"My ex hit the red button and didn't listen to me," Mandy started. At that, Agatha pursed her lips together to keep from laughing. Nash gave a mental chuckle with her. A moment later, two drones appeared with the faulty guy in their grasp.

"Let me go!" the youth hollered. Then he looked at Mandy with shock. "Did you do this? You fucking bitch!"

"I did not!" she shouted at him.

"Quiet!" Agatha said sternly. "I did it. What are you going to do about it?"

"Um..." the guy blinked and paled at the sight of her. When her hair came alive, Nash chuckled and let a tendril rest protectively over his shoulders.

"So, you can't follow simple instructions to leave well enough alone?" Agatha mused. Mandy was in complete shock. She cringed at first at the sight of a tentacle moving to her, but then she felt a complete form of motherly protection when it curled around her. She got gently plucked up and brought to Agatha's side. "Young one, do tell me. Who is he to you?"

"I thought he was someone that cared about me. For a month we dated. At first, he was everything he said. Then he just...started to slip, I guess. After the second month. I've only known him for about four months now," Mandy frowned. "I thought it was me. When I saw the texts from other women, I guess I should have...well..."

"Should have known?" Nash muttered out.

"Yeah..." she nodded.

"And...you feel it is necessary to be with other girls when you already have one?" Agatha seemed to smirk at the faulty guy. "Anyways, I don't have time to deal with this. Let her be the one to set up your fate. I'm about to go on stage."

"Feeling up for it?" Alex grinned.

"I'll have you with me. I'll always be up for anything," she smiled and kissed him gently. "Is the gift under the stage awake?"

"Yes. And very pissed off," Alex grinned. At the wave of a video technician to them, she nodded. Alex looked over at the girl and said, "If you want to join us, let us know. Otherwise, you'll get taken away to safety. As for him, I say we simply kill him off. Not worth my time, if he can't follow simple orders."

"So...if I don't want him around...?" Mandy said.

"We can get rid of him," Alex shrugged. When she was about to have a change of heart, a drone showed her a brand new text on the guy's cell phone to reveal it was a different girl. The text asked if the date was still on. Mandy seemed to glare at the guy and shook her head.

"I don't want him dead, but I don't want to see him anymore. I'm done," she muttered. The guy only rolled his eyes at this, but he got taken away. Because he was only seventeen, the drones wouldn't take him over. But, they did drug him up and used his wallet ID to drop him off at his parent's house. He was reported missing, anyways, and would likely be grounded and locked up in his room to ensure it. Several drones would even volunteer to help.

When Mandy showed she was close to tears, Nash was the one that went to give her a brotherly hug. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. How old are you?"

"Sixteen..." she mumbled. "I was only out for a bit, but it's getting late now. I should be getting home."

"We can take you home after this," he nodded.

"Okay," she shivered. Then she broke down into tears. "I really thought...he liked me...! And he really...didn't care...!"

"I know," Nash sighed and patted her back. "Did you do anything with him?"

"No," she sniffed. "My parents would have killed him."

"Good," Nash nodded. When Agatha looked at her son with amusement, he shook his head. "You have a couple more years to grow up on. Bad guys will come and go. Eventually, you'll find the right guy and everything will work out."

"It's doubtful," she grimaced. "I think it's a myth."

"Want to test that theory?" Nash chuckled. "You may have to leave your family, though. That's the trade-off. Have a guy that could be everything you ever wanted and more, or keep searching with the comfort of your natural family. The choice is yours."

"I'd rather you be that guy," she admitted. Now he looked at her with a raised brow.

"You just met me. You know nothing about me," he chuckled.

"You've been nicer to me than over half the guys I've ever met," she admitted. Now he looked at her with surprise. "I mean...I know you could be way older than me..."

"Other way around," Nash grinned a touch wickedly. "I'm only eighteen days old."

"What? Are you joking?!" she gasped.

"Nope! I was found as a baby near death, and Mom saved me by giving me a little of her blood. I aged a year in one day. It would happen to you, too, if you decided to choose to have the man of your dreams. Just two days, and you're an adult! You'd stop aging at eighteen, though. No need to worry about that. Not sure about old age, either. We still haven't gotten that far," he mused. "So far, none of us have really gotten old."

"Talk to her later, Nash. We can have others do that, too. You need to be with me, and with your other brothers and sisters," Agatha said. "The girl will be protected."

"That's fine, Mom!" Nash chuckled.

"Will I see you again?" Mandy asked him.

"Um...it's possible. But, I don't really see you as someone for me. We can get someone else for you, though. That is possible," he winked. She actually found herself blushing. The drones were quick to appear to take her to a place of safety.

"I'm surprised you didn't take to her," Alex grinned.

"She wasn't my type," Nash shrugged. Agatha chuckled and got led out to the stage. She was now standing on the side that Robert was at, and he hugged her to him with relief that she was safe. She realized it was all acting from the 'reports' that Hunters were seen all over. When the Hunter under the stage erupted up from the floor, she and Alex made short work of it to show that they were protecting the people.

"Alex Mercer, for saving my life, my family's lives, and that of our former President's life and his family's lives, I would like to give you the honorable job of head of our military defenses. Will you accept?" Robert asked. Alex seemed to think about it, but the crowds were cheering at the decision.

"What the hell. Sure," he grinned, and they shook hands. Then he muttered, "Suck up."

"Can it, Fuckwad," Robert muttered low enough for him and Agatha to hear. Alex grinned wickedly and turned to regard the crowds. The drones were already portioning out the Hunter meat right in front of the shocked civilians, but it was to help clean it off the stage.

"Yes. My name is Alex Mercer. I am the Blacklight Virus. A twisted, disgusting thing of nature that this government created in secret. Yes, I helped destroy an entire fucking island. No, I don't care about my language. And, even though my current army is assisting to keep your cities safe and secure, all of you should remember one thing. You fuck with me, or any of my family and army, we will not hesitate to dispose of you. One of my drones can easily take out fifty of you without any need of rest or food. But, don't blame me if you all provoke them. This country has now been warned. All you will have to blame is yourselves.

"In the future, we are planning to see what we can do for global means. Either protection or defense, we will take care of any future threats. Whether it's here or out there, we will force all other acts of terrorism against us to stop. And it can be either through acts of diplomatic talk...or other means."

"What do you mean by 'other means'?" a reporter asked.

"Do I really have to explain that?" Alex seemed to grin. "I'm not hiding what I am. I'm not lying about what I can do. If someone strikes a match, I can either show them where to light the fuse, or snuff it if I don't like where it's going to go. Unlike other media broadcasts that hide the truth, I expose it. See?"

At this, several hundred members of the crowd reverted back to drones. The reporter's jaw dropped at how the cameraman was now a drone. When Robert took the stand again, he said, "Yes, it's shocking. But, how much more secure would our country be now? Humans and viruses co-existing. They've been with us for who knows how long? Would it have been safer for them to have remained in hiding? Eventually, word would have gotten out."

"We have been completely honest of what we are," Agatha rang out in her ethereal tone. "If you all cannot handle the honesty we are showing you, then ask yourselves this. Who is better? A virus? Or a human? To me, we are all equals. Humans created us, yet we are despised, because we are different. We are called abominations, but we didn't expect to be this way. How can humanity not take the blame for what they created? We are offering to assist in making your cities safer. To make your lives more secure. And yet, we are always slighted, just because we are not humans? I suppose, in the end, that it does not matter. But just remember. There are worse things out there than viruses. One day you will all know this. And then you'll be begging for a virus to help you survive."

"Just like cockroaches, we'll be the last ones standing as humanity falls," Alex smirked. "and the lot of you will demand to have us protect you by saying that 'you made us'. And, you won't care about what you all have said about us being abominations. We will be the ones that have the choice to care about all of you. Yes, we'll defend you. Yes, we'll fight for you. But, don't expect us to pick up after you. We're not maids. We clean up after ourselves. We should be setting an example."

"And, on this note, I am going to retire for the evening. Thank you, America! You made the right choice," Robert chuckled and waved. Thanatos was musing to himself just off to his right. His Queen was leaning into his side. Her stud was standing with Carlos, since Rhea was there, too. Cronus was overseeing the extermination of the other Hunters, and he was monitoring the crowds. He was glad that he was.

"That one," he said and pointed at a monitor screen. A human in camouflage gear was readying a sniper rifle at the main stage. Robert had hidden scout drones with armored shields all around him. When the bullet fired, it neatly ricocheted off a hidden shield. It was aimed for Robert's head. At this, Robert calmly moved back to the stage to address the crowd.

"To the one that just tried to shoot me," he said with a smile and a shake of his head. "you're now targeted. Good luck in trying to escape. Oh, and want to know why you missed?"

Alex nodded and the scout drones revealed themselves. The sniper was watching everything through his scope. He was floored. And he didn't even feel Lelantos's sword cleave his head right off. The King smirked and watched Hermanubis already hunting down another would-be assassinator. Even Sigyn was enjoying herself in the thrill of the hunt. Five men were taken out smoothly. Gaia was no exception when it came to helping with the hunting spree. When they found a sixth man, Alex decided to interrogate him personally.

"Now...who the fuck are you?" Alex smirked at the bound up man.

"I have rights!" the man shouted.

"Robert is a full human. You would be committing murder," Alex said. "Therefore, you have no such rights. And, just so you know, he's not fully on board with all of this, either. He has no choice. So, what you're fighting for is null and void. You should have aimed for me."

The man was stunned at this knowledge, but it was all true. Agatha only sighed and let the drones deal with the man in their own way. There was now a lot on her mind.  _New lands needed to be explored in full. The world was slowly being informed that a viral takeover was imminent. Everything was finally coming to a close._

And yet...there was still an egg containing alien DNA that was waiting patiently in a deep freezer to keep it stable. No one knew what that would bring out. At least not right now.

END


	144. Bonus Chapter!

**_**The Fourth Wall stands silently in the distance. A pristine sheen of white...something...that blocks off the story lines from behind it. On this opposite side, the Author works diligently on the next chapter to another story at a basic computer. Finding a bit of writer's block, there is a pause. With a sigh, the Author clenches the hair on the sides of their head in frustration.**_ **

**_The hell! A sequel. Why the hell did I put in that frigging egg?! Ugh. Although, the idea of a kid Agatha is appealing. I have a lot of different options here. And now people are asking about Mass Effect. I never played Mass Effect! Maybe I can do StarCraft..._ **

**_**The Author didn't notice the small cracks starting to appear in the Wall. Only when a heavy drilling noise began to occur did the Author glance over with a look of dumb-founded silence. Then the Wall broke open to reveal Alex Mercer with a jackhammer.**_ **

**_Ah...you shouldn't be here. Now I have to fix that Wall._ **

"Who are you?" Alex asked and tossed the construction tool aside. "I just saw a wall and wanted to break it down. It's a form of exploration. What place is this? It looks boring."

**_Great. You broke the Fourth Wall. Ugh..._ **

"I broke the what?!" he blinked.

**_**The Author waves him over to look at the main computer screen and points out various things.**_ **

"Holy shit! So...you wrote out...and people are probably reading this...?"

**_Yep!_ **

"So...you had me meet Agatha...?"

**_You could say that. I thought up the idea and wrote it._ **

"Do people like this?" he asked.

**_**Gestures to another part of the screen that shows reviews.**_ **

"Okay, so they do. Can I say something?" he asked. Grinning at the confirmation, he now addresses whoever is out there that's reading. "Thanks for reading up on what was done for me. It's appreciated. For those of you that didn't like it, I don't care. For those of you that did, awesome! Now I saw that options for a sequel were in motion. Right?"

**_Yes. They want to see what would happen if I sort of 'introduced' you to a new story arc. I've been meaning to play Mass Effect, but life happens and whatever. I'm more familiar with StarCraft, as I play that game series quite a bit. Your game is called Prototype. You are a fictional character, but much appreciated by all. There are other options that may be available to Agatha, but I wasn't sure what to do about it just yet._ **

"If I'm this popular, did I have another game made of me?"

**_You did, but I never touched it. I didn't like how you were portrayed and ignored it. So, I have no idea how that game played out._ **

"Is that so? How was I portrayed in it?"

**_You were definitely the villain, but the-_ **

"You had me at villain. We may have to revisit this in the future. So we're done talking about that for now."

**_Okay. But, you can see my issue._ **

"Uh huh," he seemed to mull things over. "What options with Agatha?"

**_That she has a clone in the form of a young girl. It was suggested._ **

"Uh..." he seemed to twitch at that. "Fuck no."

**_Not your decision if I do use this idea. Should we get another opinion?_ **

"Like who's?" he asked.

**_**A mist appears from the breach in the Fourth Wall, and Agatha emerges from it in her resplendent toga of a gown.**_ **

"Where...?" she blinked. Alex walked over to her and pulled her close.

"Good. You're real. At least...well..." he seemed to mutter. "Apparently, I broke the Fourth Wall by being overly curious."

"You did?" she asked. He was able to explain to her what happened. "Oh! So...now we are trying to decide on a continuation? I see. A child version of me sounds rather fun! It would definitely keep you on your toes! That StarCraft bit does have me curious, too..."

**_You could get along with Kerrigan, now that I think about it. She also controls an extensive hive mind of her own. Different species, of course. Want to look?_ **

**_**The Author gestures to the computer screen. Before Agatha can take a closer look, Alex stops her to regard the Author.**_ **

"What's your name? And...are you a guy or a girl? It's hard to tell. Your form is kinda...blurred out," Alex muttered.

**_Just call me 'Author'. And as for my gender...is that really important?_ **

"Yes. It is. I want to know," he nodded.

**_Rethink what you want. That it's not important. Or I'll make you do things you wouldn't even want to happen in any storyline._ **

"Like what?" Alex smirked. Now Agatha was curious.

**_I will help Agatha answer a question. I will bring up your Prototype game and make a new profile. And I will ONLY have you consume women and keep count of how many times it happens. Unless a mission calls for a man to be consumed. But otherwise...only women._ **

"Can you?!" Agatha gasped with delight.

"Fuck no! Fine. It's not important!" he snapped and glared at his mate. "And you're still a bitch! Don't even think about it!"

**_**As this was going on, there is movement from the Fourth Wall once more. This time, it seems that Robin from Teen Titans manages to peek in out of curiosity. The Author looks over and groans with complete dismay.**_ **

**_You. Robin. Go back to your storyline. There is no need for you to be here._ **

"You know who I am?" he blinked his white eyes from his black mask.

"Are you one of those LARP freaks?" Alex asked. "Go home, kid. It's past your bedtime."

"What?!" Robin gaped. "I'm a Teen Titan!"

"He looks like he's ready for Halloween! But, I don't have any candy. I'm sorry," Agatha frowned. At the look Robin gave her, she chuckled. "Ah! So, you're being honest. It's a uniform?"

"Yes, it is," Robin nodded. "I'm a hero!"

"Okay. Whatever. Get the fuck out of my story. Hey, Author! What do you plan to do about this? If he got here, then what are we supposed to do?" Alex asked.

**_Robin, I already updated your story. There is no need for you to be here. You can go._ **

"Oh. Um...can I get another update?" Robin asks with a small grin and a shrug. "And I'm not the only one. Quite a few others that I've never seen before are on their way here..."

**_I'll see about making a place later on for everyone to talk and whatnot. Right now, I have pressing issues with Alex Mercer and Agatha. We'll talk later with better introductions._ **

"I can do that," Robin nodded and headed back to the Fourth Wall breach. "But...another update? Maybe soon?"

"You'll have to wait your turn," Tyrael grounded out and hauled him back into the Wall. "It's my story's turn to get an update!"

"Looks like I opened one giant can of worms. And I'm not closing it," Alex grinned.

**_I figured as much. Anyways, a sequel. To your now finished story. What do you think?_ **

"I like the StarCraft idea. Just me. One mega bitch meeting another mega bitch. And don't look at me like that, Agatha! You know it! Anyways, let's let the ever-loyal fans decide. A vote. Mass Effect...which this Author knows nothing about. Or StarCraft. Or something else. How do they contact you to give you their opinions?" Alex asked.

**_They can message me in a private message, or reply to this in a review form. And, yes, I may have to see about setting up a place for you all to gather during the down time. It can't be helped. You did break down my Fourth Wall, after all._ **

"Can others from other stories walk into this...room?" Agatha asked. "From stories you didn't do? Would that be possible?"

**_It may be possible. But only after I gain clearance and judge them worthy. And if whoever did 'make' them agrees to small cameo appearances. Not a true story, but just a way for everyone to unwind. As it stands, this story is now complete! Thank you all for reading! Alex and Agatha, feel free to take a bow and please go back through the Fourth Wall._ **

"Can we answer questions for the fans?" Alex asked. He definitely ignored the bit about leaving.

**_If they have possible questions in review form. Maybe._ **

"Will you make appearances, Author?" Agatha smiled.

**_I may have to if things get out of hand. No choice in that. But, that's how it stands right now._ **

"I want to play bouncer," Alex grinned.

**_I don't know if that would work. We'll have to see._ **

"Oh, I am so excited!" Agatha giggled. "I'll get to make some friends! Oh! Author! If I meet someone and I'm in the sequel, can you let me talk to them over a phone or something?"

**_That...hmm. Well, I did have your kids playing Diablo 3 in the hotel room. Not sure if anyone caught that! But, I can see about small phone calls with a few name drops from other stories. Maybe._ **

"They were playing my game?!" Tyrael asked from the Wall.

"Shut up! Your time here is over! Go have a pizza or something!" Alex growled. "And I don't think you're Diablo. Anyways, okay. We'll see what the fans say. We'll go now."

**_**As Alex and Agatha finally retreat back through the Fourth Wall, the Author could only shake a head at what happened. It was bound to happen at some point. Maybe it would give new ideas to future updates? The Author would have to see.**_ **

**_Well...I guess I could make a break room for them. Possibly..._ **

**_**The Author mused at this and began to type again at the computer to see what could be created.**_ **

**_***THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!  THERE IS A SEQUEL IN THE WORKS ON THE FANFICTION.NET SITE, AND MAY BE BROUGHT OVER IF IT IS DEMANDED! THE BREAK ROOM IS ALSO ON THE FANFICTION.NET SITE, AND THAT CAN ALSO COME OVER IF REQUESTED! ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR READING!***_ **

**Author's Note:**

> There is a cross-over sequel of this fiction that is still a work in progress on fanfiction.net! If a lot of people like this story, I will bring it here for enjoyment!


End file.
